Category: Malbec Wine

Wine and Health Guide

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“Is wine good for you?” – perhaps one of the top 10 most regularly asked questions in our wine tasting events. It’s always interested me that this question is at the forefront of many wine drinker’s minds, and it’s clear this is linked to the increasing interest in what goes into wine, and how it is produced.

It’s regularly notedthat wines (particularly reds), when consumed in moderation help combat cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer, and even Alzheimers. Epidemiologists for instance have consistently shown that the moderate consumption of alcohol and wine helps lower cardiovascular events such as heart failure. Why? Well although alcohol is a toxic substance, in moderation amongst other things, it is an anticoagulant (which in turn prevents blood clots).

It’s not only alcohol however – phenolic compounds present in wine are also known to be beneficial. One of these, Resveratrol (seemingly the wonder compound) seems to have an extraordinary breadth of benefits, from attacking cancer cells, protecting the heart and brain from damage, reducing inflammation, and lowering the instances of diabetes. Resveratrol has even been credited with reducing age related illnesses. Interestingly, 100 times more resveratrol is absorbed by the mouth than by the stomach. Because of this, it’s recommended you sip wine, rather than knock it back.

On this point, it’s not just how much you drink, but how you drink that matters. A further study (in Italy) has shown that consuming wines with a meal significantly reduces the risk of a heart attack.

THE FRENCH PARADOX

The perceived benefits of wine drinking are not new however. The well known French Paradox (essentially the observation that the French have a relatively low incidence of coronary disease, despite having a diet rich in fat) was first brought to light by an Irish doctor by the name of Samuel Black in 1819.

This phenomenon was revisited in 1991 on 60 Minutes, a CBS news program in USA, with the suggestion that red wine decreases the incidence of cardiac arrests. The follow-on? A 44% increase in red wine consumption, with US based wineries lobbying for the right to label their wines as “health foods.” The reaction from the American public was so great that wine brand Gallo had to put their Hearty Burgundy wine on allocation.

Inevitability, there have been dissenting voices, not least the statistics collected between 1990-2000 by The World Health Organisation who have shown coronary disease in the French may have been underestimated, and may be similar to those of neighbouring countries in Europe.

Despite all the research, as usual it’s all about moderation. Moderate drinkers have been defined by some as those who consume two 5 ounce glasses of wine a day, although sex, age, build, and general health all make generialisations risky. We know where the limits are – go overboard and all the adverse effects of excessive drinking are yours for the taking (liver disease, pancreatitis, cardiovascular disease..).

The future for wine and health? Well just last year in 2008, Philip Norrie, a Sydney based winemaker, created a wine with 100 times more resveratrol than standard wine. He calls it a “vascular pipe cleaner” – watch this space.

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Kosher South African Wines

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A wine begins its koshering once plucked from the vine, as it is sown and cultivated in the same way as other wines. It may be picked by anyone, not necessarily a kosher or Jewish person. The grapes to be used for the wines are then taken to the winery, where they are crushed. This process needs to be performed under a rabbi’s supervision. The rabbi physically tips the grapes into the crusher and sometimes operates the necessary equipment. This is an integral requirement for a kosher wine’s production.

The barrels in which the kosher wines are to be fermented need to be judged worthy for such a use. After the grapes have been crushed under rabbinal supervision, the rest of the process and even the handling of the grapes and juice need to be performed by a Jewish person that observes the Sabbath faithfully. Even thought the rabbi does not necessarily need to be involved in the wine-making process, he does need to oversee the entire progression to the final product. Kosher wines even need to be opened by a kosher waitron. None of the work involved in producing a kosher wine may be done on the Sabbath.
 
Meshuval wines are kosher wines that have been flash-pasteurized by boiling (or nearly boiling) and cooling them very rapidly. Advanced technology means that there is very little, if any, difference to the taste of these wines kosher wines compared to non-meshuval wines. Pasteurising the wine in this way renders it kosher immediately, regardless of how it is handled thereafter. In South Africa, though, meshuval wines are rare and are more common in North America and Israel. The rabbi would operate the pasteurization equipment.
 
The wines carry an official seal of approval called the hechsher. The reason that a wine has to be deemed kosher (since it contains none of the forbidden foods of Judaism) is owing to its important role in non-Jewish religions. Using it for these purposes is considered to be idolatry. Therefore, wines need to be kosher to ensure that they are free from any form of idolatry before being consumed by a Jewish person. Of course, kosher wines can not contain anything that is derived from a non-kosher source, such as gelatine or isinglass.
 
South Africa, along with a few other countries around the world, has recently seen an increased demand for kosher wines. This may be related to the fact that methods for ensuring correctly koshered wines are becoming more widespread.
 
In South Africa, good quality kosher wines are available from Norman Goodfellows, Kleine Draken and Nwanedi. Some recommended vintages include:
 
· Eshkol Shiraz 2003 – the Eshkol Winery in Paarl produces excellent kosher wines.
· Welnerberg Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 – From South Africa’s Swartland, this full-bodied red is ideal for red meat dishes.
· Welnerberg Pinotage 2005 – this wine enjoys fruitier flavors and a slightly lighter body.

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Make Wine At Home Wine Making Kits

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Wine making has become steadily a fun hobby for many, in particular wine lovers. Due to ease of wine production wine making kits offer, not only an experienced wine lover but a beginner also can prepare his wine by following few simple steps. Many stores specialized in brewing wines sell kits which usually contain required wine making accessories and equipments, making the comprehensive procedure of wine making easier. Although it is considered widely that best wines can be made in big wineries only but this has become the believe of past as now if one practices the wine making procedure at home then he can gain mastery over it in a short span of time and this all can be done with home wine making equipments contained in home wine kits.

A wine kit usually comes with instructions that are to be followed in order to craft a tasty wine. But it gets imperative to make sure before get into the procedure of wine production that you have all the equipments in your kit and also the wine supplies. Here is a list of items which you need to have beforehand while going to make wine

Fresh fruits or grapes
Sugar
Fermenters or gallon bucket with lid
Winemaking recipe handbook
One glass or gallon jug
Airlocks
Hydrometer
Cleanser
Wine yeasts
Carboy
Corker

After getting assured that you have all the required items, you can start the procedure by following these simple steps mentioned below

Pressing

First step is getting juice from fruits or grapes and it can be done with the help of presser.

Adding the sugar

It is not an essential step as it can be avoided if fruits are already very sweet. Generally, the main purpose of adding the sugar is the fermentation of alcohol but naturally sweet fruits like grapes dont need the addition of sugar. It is believed that the more will be the use of the sugar, the more will be the content of alcohol once the process is finished.

Add the yeasts

Further, yeasts should be added as they convert the sugar into alcohol like fermentation.

The last but not the least steps are the fermentation and bottling or aging of wine. These are the procedures during which wine gets ready to use after leaving it for around one month at the temperature of 40 to 50 degree F.

Thus, go ahead and get started for enjoying the journey of wine making by following aforementioned steps with the help of home wine kits. For more information visit: http://www.artfulwinemaker.com

White Wine Recipes: White Wine For Newbies

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White wine is widely known for being a very sensual and stylish alcoholic drink. It is mostly accessible in yellow or golden color. White wine is widely appreciated all across the world because of its scrumptious taste. You may anytime pair white wine with white meat to make an easy meal looks tasty. Don’t know anything about white wine? We can fix that.

White wine, as opposed to its name, is not always in white color. Actually, white wine is always made by utilizing components like gold and green grapes skin and juices. The drink usually gets its color from the grape skins. Through the fermentation process, the grape skin generally acts in a way to diffuse certain color in drink. Each wine has a particular color, which depends upon the grape used as well as the length of your time the skin’s pigmentation is in touch with the juice (that’s why red wines are redder when the skin is fermented with the juice longer). You will find some types of Champagnes that are manufactured from a number of the chosen black grapes or red grapes.

Turn to white wine for a light dinner, or even a picnic at the beach. It is more refreshing and lighter tasting than that regarding a bold red wine, making it wonderful for spring and summer times. Further, this dry alcoholic drink often tastes very sweet. As a result of a light consistency and odor, white wine is better when served along with light foods.

For serving, use narrower glass for drinking. Further, you should not have to breathe white wine in a much same method as you need to do with red wine. It is actually better to serve this alcoholic drink at fifty degrees Fahrenheit. By doing this you may also be capable to taste the alcoholic portion of this drink. Why serve it cold? The colder the temperature, the less tart, sweet and aromatic it seems. Wine strives on three basics: sugar, acid (which your tongue tastes), and aromatics. The aroma should disperse right away after opening the bottled. Then, you have to stay away from chilling the white wine so as to destroy the flavor of the drink. So, basically in no way chill the wine in case you are planning to enjoy its bold alcoholic flavor.

There are two main reason that produces the white wine more refreshing than any other forms of wines. First, when you drink the wine and it comes into contact with your tongue, the sourness makes you salivate, making you want more. Second, since the wine is frozen. So, if you don’t want a refreshing white wine, don’t chill it.

So, just follow these above mentioned pointers if you were about to taste the white wine for the initial time. These techniques may even help you out in enhancing the alcoholic flavor. Remember to drink safely and sensibly.

For additional information on white wine recipes please visit white wine recipes. You can also have a peek at some fantastic red wine recipes by clicking red wine.

Choosing Wine Gift Baskets with Fool Proof Wine

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When you tend to creat a wine gift basket with some proof wine values, there are two choices for you to refer. The first choice is that you select and put your chosen bottles of wine into the basket. The other way is to go to supermarket to buy a ready-made one. Selecting the basket defers from choosing the wines. You should consider the place where you can buy valuable wines suitable for your money pocket.

 

There are of course places you can go that have the full package, if you do not want to put your own gift together.

 

Wine Country Gift Baskets

 

This is one of the first shops you should check out. They have a wide selection for you to choose from. They even have baskets made for special occasions, like birthdays, anniversaries, and baby showers, or to convey special messages, like get well wishes and congratulations. Besides wine gift baskets, they also have ones containing gourmet food, coffee selections, and chocolates.

 

Glitter Gift Baskets

 

Here is another store where you can find all kinds of wine gift baskets. Whether wine or other gifts, you can be sure that the baskets you get have been created with a taste for elegance and quality, and are designed to satisfy even persons with the highest standards for food and wine gifts.

 

Gourmet Gift Baskets

 

This company offers a wide range. These wine gifts may cost a bit more, but the quality is there.

 

When choosing a wine gift basket, these are the things you should consider, besides price: your recipient’s likes and preferences when it comes to wines, their drinking habits, and the kind of food they usually want to go with their wines.

 

A lot of stores do offer affordable prices for their products, including most of those mentioned above. You always have a choice on the more elaborate or simpler gift, thus always determining price.

 

If you would like to make your own wine gift basket with good quality wines that cost a fraction of the price, so that you can buy five wine bottles for the price of one quality bottle – then it pays to know some fool proof wine values.

 

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