Author: Rickie
A Wine Lover’s Weekly Guide To $10 Wines – A Red Crete (Greece) Blend
Posted onThis is one of our first Greek wine reviews and the first review devoted to a wine from the island of Crete which produces about one fifth of all Greek wine. Kourtaki, the producer, was founded way back in 1895 by Vassili Kourtakis; perhaps the first Greek to obtain a diploma in oenology, the study of wine. This company started with retsina, but happily moved on to better wines. Kourtaki is now the largest producer of Greek wine, bottling an estimated thirty million bottles a year, half of which are exported. They are still producing re;sina wine, but frankly the less said about retsina (which by European Economic Community policy may only be produced in Greece) the better. The wine reviewed is a blend of the red Kotsifali grape found mostly in Greece and the red Mandilara grape, the most widely planted Aegean red variety. These two grapes are often blended together.
OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review have been purchased at the full retail price.
Wine Reviewed Kourtaki Vin de Crete Red 2008 12.0% alcohol about $ 8.50
Let’s start by quoting the marketing materials. Tasting Note : Deep purple color ; cassis and red berry aroma ; berry fruit flavor, medium body and medium length. Serving Suggestion : Serve with souvlaki or pork kebobs. And now for my review.
At the first sips this wine was strongly acidic with some berries. It was not unpleasant. Its first pairing was with barbecued beef ribs in a sweet ketchup sauce. The wine’s acidity was tamed. There were no tannins and not much flavor. The accompanying potatoes roasted in chicken fat gave this wine more body. In the presence of an overly spicy salsa with tomatoes, onions, green peppers, and cilantro the wine picked up some power.
The next meal involved zucchini stuffed with rice and ground beef and a side of green beans in a tomato sauce. The wine was somewhat harsh and short. I tasted berries. With the green beans the wine’s acidity toned down and as the meal proceeded the its harshness dropped. The dessert of orange fruit juice candy rendered this wine essentially tasteless.
My final meal was composed of beef stew with potatoes. The wine was thin and tasted of tobacco and berries. When I added powerful jalapeno pepper sauce the wine’s fruit intensified. The oriental-style side salad composed of tomatoes, pimentos, and garlic made the wine longer.
I ended the bottle with Matjes herring and two local cheeses. With the herring the wine was lightly acidic with virtually no tannins and tasted of red cherries. A relatively tasteless brick cheese managed to overpower this wine. When facing a somewhat tastier marbled cheddar cheese, the wine perked up a bit; the fruit was back.
Final verdict. I will not buy this wine again. But if you don’t like tannins and want a red wine other than Beaujolais you might consider this wine.
Wine industry in Ravello
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When You book a nice apartment in Positano Apartment in Positano – Amalfi Coast, with us You’ll realize how beautiful and magic this town is.
Born in the climate of the Thousand and unification of Italy, the wines of the Bishop’s 145 years ago. When Pasquale Palumbo cured with extraordinary wisdom and dedication, the vines attached to the Bishop’s house in Ravello, better known as Bishop’s. Hence the name of the wine. The brand is maintained through four generations now managed with a sure hand by Marco Vuilleumier, heir of so much tradition. Then the wine Pasquale Palumbo joins the hotel of the same name, which will in a few years to such an audience of distinguished guests, which has few comparisons in terms of Europe.The list of personalities – from Wagner to Greta Garbo is the real Sweden and Denmark to Humphrey Bogart, John Huston, Lauren Bacall, Grieg, Malaparte – always accompanies it, and correspondingly, the hotel’s history and that of wine .
The Bishops of Palumbo became a close pair, where one refers to the other and both are identified with the unique image of Ravello. Curated and produced the old fashioned way in not more than thirty thousand bottles of wine cellars Episcopio born between Ravello and Scala, in Vigna San Lorenzo 350 meters above sea level. The types are the classical ones provided by the specification of Doc: Red, Rosé and White. The first, with an alcohol content of 12.5, is extremely durable and perfectly preserved, almost twenty. Born from a blend of Aglianico and Piedirosso Serpentara, the variety it very local. The output of around eight thousand bottles.The Rose, Ravello Rosé labeled as Doc, uses the same blend and is credited for the full structure, soft and intense. The production is far less, only four thousand bottles, a wine whose streak of fresh acidity hides good 12 degrees.
For the Ravello Bianco Doc is the only grape used instead of scale, variety in San Nicolas, Tender White, White Zita window. Even in this case the first vine is not reflected across the boundaries. The wine of great personality and finesse, with a pleasant aftertaste, is the most widely produced. More valuable is instead the other White, Vigna San Lorenzo, built in only five thousand bottles.Here the composition of the Ravello Bianco adds Pepella, a grape of ancient and renamed as among the most typical of the area. Bishop’s also produces, as table wines, two reds, a Special Reserve (vintage ’92) from Aglianico grapes, and Piedirosso Serpentara, and Confalone from Aglianico.
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A Wine Taster’s Guide to Environmental Wines – A Look at Lageder Reds
Posted onWith today’s global attention focused on environmental health, entrepreneurs, citizen groups, and national governments attempt cooperation to improve air, water, and soil quality, to safeguard oceans and forests and especially to control climate change.
You can join the effort at your next wine tasting party by choosing wines from an eco-friendly winery like Alois Lageder. As you pour your guests a glass of these planet conscious wines, you can pass on knowledge that shows this historic Italian winery is no newcomer to environmentalism. This article looks at the aspects of eco-friendly winemaking including how winemakers create a natural balance to increase the vitality and pest and disease resistance of vines with a focus on one of the long time advocates of environmentalism in wine.
Alois Lageder
Winemaker Alois Lageder is one of many with environmental concerns, but for him, they are not recent. Born in 1950, Alois Lageder owns family vineyards located on steep Alpine slopes far from any beaten path in Alto Adige. The region borders Austria where residents speak both Italian and German and the past still dominates viticulture and winemaking. However, Alois Lageder’s visionary plan has always embraced modern technology. Instead of operating at cross-purposes, he sees nature, humans, and technology as cooperative forces with art as an expression of nature that informs people, an outlook that sends him to the top of any eco-friendly red wine club list.
Alois Lageder was named after his great grandfather who founded a winery in Bolzano in 1855. In 1934, the family acquired the Lowengang estate in Magre’ now planted with 77 acres of grapes and subsequently acquired other vineyards in prime locations in Alto Adige including the Cason’ Hirschprunn estate in 1991 planted with 79 acres.
Aspects Of Biodynamic Winemaking
Lageder grows vineyards on steep slopes from 750 to 3,250 elevations above the Adige Valley. All have been organically farmed, and the Lowengang estate is now farmed biodynamically, an even more rigorous and sustainable farming method than organic. Rather than unnatural single crop planting, Lageder cultivates multiple varieties in any given vineyard together with other plants, uses compost instead of artificial fertilizers, and fights parasites with natural predators. Lageder’s goal is to imitate the balance in nature and increase the health and vitality of the vines so they are resistant to parasites and disease.
Completed in 1996, the winery at the Tor Lowengang estate is a marvel of new technology, entirely eliminating the consumption of non-renewable fossil fuels. The winery employs solar energy, geo-thermic warmth, and natural convection currents. The building leans into a cliff that cools and warms fresh air for ventilation. A photoelectric system makes use of solar energy, delivering most of the winery’s electrical needs. And solar collectors heat water. The 50 feet tall vinification tower harnesses the force of gravity in such a way that pumps or other mechanical means for moving the grapes and must are unnecessary. The grapes and must flow down from one vinification phase to the next and end in fermentation vats arranged in a circle around this central axis. After fermentation, the wines rest in vaulted cellars until picked up by red wine club associations and distributors.
By sharing this information at your next eco-friendly wine tasting party, you can help Lageder’s wines and other environmental wines taste a little sweeter to your guests.
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Wine Investment In Egypt
Posted onWine investment can be divided into two guidelines: the domestication of grapevines and the trade of wine. The history of wine dates back to the Early Bronze Ages. Investing in wine derives from the time of Greece and Rome. It is still not known, the place from where the original grape vine was delivered. It was discovered that man has been drinking for over 5,000 years. There is a lot of archeological evidence that proves that wine was used as a tribute to the pagan gods and was considered a beverage of the gods. It is the oldest known agricultural product, which has passed through the whole development of civilization.
The first evidence of wine investing dates back seventy centuries ago, to the time of an unknown Egyptian Pharaoh. In the bare tomb was placed several statuettes which represented slaves who served their dead Royal Master. One of the servants on the figure stumbled upon a wine jar. It is thought that the birth of the human civilization came along with the wine. The Egyptian shaman attributed wine in honor of their gods and especially of their noble god Osiris, the son of Heaven and Earth.
The Egyptians domesticated white and red sweet grapes. The best vineyards were situated along the river valley of the Nile. The papyri which were historical manuscripts tell us about the celebrated wine of Anthylla, sought near the Lake Mare Otis. Cleopatra herself used to drink this kind of wine when she was with Antony. No one knows whether Cleopatra or the perfect taste of her wine bewitched him. The Egyptian court was well known for the great amounts of wine that were consumed. Investing in wine became a necessity to satisfy their needs. Later on wines were imported from Ethiopia, Syria and Palestine.
The plants were cultivated like creepers up the trees. This method is still used in some parts of Italy. The great problem was with the irrigation. It was done by hand. The other problem was the pruning. In these times it wasn’t well known. The vineyards were pruned by goats, tied to the vines. Those days the wine was made in a simple way. The gathered grape was trodden by feet. After that the marc was pressed in sacks. The wine was stored in earthenware amphorae, which were large vases, for fermentation. Then the beverage was filtered. Each amphora was painted with resin in order to make it smooth.
The ordinary Egyptians didn’t have the opportunity to drink wine. The beverage intended for the public was a kind of mix of palm wine and beer. Only the Pharaoh, the shaman and the soldiers had the honor of drinking the beverage of the gods. Through all these centuries the wine was the best of all beverages. Investing in wine in Egypt proves that it was highly appreciated, even by the Pharaoh. There are a lot of founded paintings that represent scenes about the wine showing a part of the Pharaoh’s daily life. Wine investment has continued through all these years as an undying thirst for not only the gods but for all mankind.
Fantastic Wineries within the lovely Clare Valley
Posted onClare Valley Introduction:
Known as Australia’s oldest wine valley, this area is largely treasured for its ‘Riesling’ wines. Clare Valley separates itself from other wineries in a few ways. Some of which in white class are ‘Riesling’ that is predominantly recognized to become Australia’s home. And also the 2nd to none in red variety is really a mixture of ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ and ‘Shiraz’. Clare valley has about 51 wineries in its whole.
Adelina Winery:
At a distance of 4km south east for the town of Clare, this tiny winery is located in the Spring Farm Valley between the Aberfeldy and Wendouree vineyards.
Comprising planting of Pinot Noir and Pedro Ximenes; in addition to that also having the famous yet lengthy lasting Shiraz, Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon. This Adelina Vineyard was operated by Mr. Will in modern days – until he appointed Colin McBryde a winemaker. Who modified the whole era of how these wineries should really taste when purchased from Adelina vineyard.
A phrasal catch-up of this valley is “make wines which exhibit a sense of plac” that’s what keeps one motivated all through the 12 months & peak season.
Brian Barry Wine:
Brain Barry wines are excellent in taste, its wines have won 100s of trophies since inception. Brian Barry wines have a total of four wine categories that entails; Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon. These four categories have dominated the market all these years and of course bearing the name of Brian Barry it exclusively gives it a high rank standing.
The most mouth-watering wine is Merlot flavored with plums, vanillin and oak that grinds up making a mixture in shape of “Merlot Wine”.
Claymore Wines:
An overview of Claymore Wines; it was founded by a medical professional who purchased a vineyard to grow fruits that would give an exquisite taste, later on he went on working, testing on different flavors and so came up with modern classic wines. Claymore wines produces 10 kinds of wines, the names have been kept by its officials while they make the elegant taste enjoying folk music, the extravaganza marvelously increases with dancing and enjoying making wine. The ten variations are certainly unique their names are: Joshua Tree known to be the tree of life, next comes in line Purple Rain of course we don’t know what the rain color is but having style this you’ll surrender saying the rain is Purple. Then we have Whole Lotta Love yes! You bet! There’s whole lot of love in that, then comes You’ll Never Walk Alone’ right after that Graceland next is, Walk around the Wild Side another one London Calling quantity 8 is Dark Side from the Moon quantity 9 Nirvana and also the last introduced this year is Lulu Late Harvest Riesling. You’re sure to enjoy these exquisites!
Grosset Wines:
Grosset Wines was established in 1981 situated at the southern tip of the Clare Valley this winery is in its 3rd decade. The reason for Grosset Wines to be famous around the globe is its tiny but focused objectives. It has the ability to pay attention to requirement more hence producing quality and providing an superb service. Containing mixtures of Riesling, sauvignon blanc, white peach, melon and grapefruit, furthermore, involvement of cabernet sauvignon & cabernet franc. It consist of 7 choices their names are:
Grosset Polish Hill Riesling
Grosset Springvale Watervale Riesling
Grosset Semillon Sauvignon Blanc
Grosset Piccadilly Chardonnay
Grosset Gaia
Grosset Pinot Noir &
Grosset Off-dry Riesling
Each one of these contain fresh and bloomy aroma of their respective elements which makes the wine more loving and tasty.
Kilikanoon Wines:
Mr. Kevin Mitchell wanted a brand of his own, to set a seal upon the globe of his famous wines and hence he proved it to the world. Today we see that have varieties of mostly red wines, as they are considered the specialists in red wines! The Kilikanoon Wines have won both Australian and International awards, respectively. One of its wine produced has ‘Attunga 1865 Shiraz’ though the quantity is less however, the demand is high. The variety of wine in this valley varies from taste-to-taste it has around 16 variants to choose from, starting from the famous Prodigal Grenache to Block Watervale Riesling and going onwards to Fermented Semillon and so on.
Daryl Crete enjoys writing articles about spectacular locations around Australia. He is currently writing articles related to the site Accommodation Clare Valley where you may read about the countless things to do inside the well known winery region of the Clare Valley in South Australia
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