Category: Syrah Wine

Good Wine Costs a Bundle – And Other Common Wine Myths, Busted

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I’ve recently begun enjoying wine and trying different types. Up until now I played with the idea of getting more ‘into’ wine, but got scared off because I thought I needed deep pockets or a country club membership.

Since I’ve begun my exploration I’ve found that there is a lot of bad information out there about wine, finding the right wine, how to store wine, etc.

Here is a list of the 5 most common wine myths…debunked.

1) Good wine has to cost a lot. Not true. First of all there really isn’t such a thing as a ‘good wine’ at least not a one size fits all. A good wine is one that you enjoy. Period. It doesn’t have to come from France or be expensive or be red or white, it’s whatever you like the taste of.

2) You have to let your wine breathe by taking out the cork. While it is true that allowing more oxygen into your wine, aeration, will help improve the flavor and aroma of some wines just taking the cork out doesn’t do any good. The opening of the wine bottle is too small to allow a lot of air in. If you really want your wine to breathe either pour it into a wide mouth decanter or into a glass about 15 minutes before you plan to drink it.

3) You have to have white wine with fish and red wine with meat. This isn’t wrong but it’s a little narrow. If you prefer white wine and you’re having steak than have white wine. Again it’s really about what you like. This general guideline is just that, a general guideline but at the end of the day you have to enjoy the wine you drink so that should always be your first criteria.

4) You can tell a good wine by sniffing the cork. Not so much. Really the only thing you can tell by sniffing the cork is whether or not the cork is moldy. Other than that the best way to tell if a wine is any good is to smell it and taste it.

5) You can’t store an opened bottle of wine in your refrigerator because it will go bad. If you put the cork back in the bottle most bottles will be just fine for 2 to 3 days in your fridge.

There, I hope that helps. Don’t let the idea of trying new wines intimidate you. Trying a new wine with friends and family with a nice meal is one of the simple pleasures of life. Just don’t get too caught up in all the ‘rituals’ and enjoy your wine drinking experience!

Top Ten Wine Bars In Nyc

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New York City is home to fun, food and party at all times. NYC is one place where you can actually have hard time deciding where to go, what to choose. Competition and top quality is true for wine as well. New York City offers the best wine bars that are open 24/7 hours serving you refined and addictive wine drinks.
Top wine bars of New York City include the following names.
Cavatappo: One of the most fantastic wine bars of New York City that has an outdoor seating and a refreshing dcor with great atmosphere to relax and enjoy a few drinks. In addition, Cavatappo has grill for your pleasure.
WineBar: This NYC wine bar offers a comfortable and friendly atmosphere with an extensive wine menu for serious wine connoisseurs. Try them once and experience complete harmony and peaceful wine sips!
Morrell Wine Bar & Caf can safely be termed the top most elegant bar in the New York City. With over 2,000 selections, in-addition to 50 wine glass options, this bar is an ideal heaven for anyone who loves to sample fine wines and spirits.
Ayza Wine & Chocolate Bar: Nothing is better than a decadent chocolate bar and heady wine glass! This is also an excellent spot to go on a date.
Metro Caf & Wine Bar: Bon apptit; This NYC offers you one of the most soothing eating and drinking experience. Here you can have over 100 wines and 21 wine flights.
Wine and Roses: One of the most stylish and chic wine bar of New York City this place is often targeted by the rich and famous, movie stars and television stars! Their specialty is best wine and food menu served in absolute elegance.
Felice Wine Bar: This bar serves delicate Italian best wines in utter chic and Stylish surroundings. Drinking a glass of wine here is a pure intoxicating experience!
Uncorked Wine Bar: This New York City bar provides ample delicious and sweet wines in a cozy and friendly atmosphere.
Terroir Wine Bar: The friendly and peaceful atmosphere of this wine bar is a wonderful experience. This NYC bar treats you just right, as you should be!
Pudding Stones: This NYC wine bar offers you a large room to relax and drink some of the countrys finest and sweetest wines.
Other notable wine bars worth mentioning are Desnuda, Bar Veloce, Centro Vinoteca, Stonehome, Aliseo, Xai Xai and Bottega del Vino.

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Properly Storing Your Wine

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Wine requires cool, dark, humid, and still surroundings. While, storing it is not the most complicated process, it is a very sensitive one.

There are a few key points to keep in mind that will help ensure your liquor has the very best chance for long-term survival and optimal aging. The best storage temperature is right around 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Any kind of excessive heat will potentially ruin a bottle of wine. You also want to shoot for consistent temperatures, since dramatic temperature fluctuations will negatively impact a stored bottle.

Humidity is another factor to keep in mind when storing liquor. A higher humidity level helps to keep the corks from shrinking and allowing oxygen in.

Allowing oxygen into the bottle may result in oxidation of the wine. The ideal humidity level is between 65-75 percent.

Most colored glass bottles have UV filters incorporated into the glass, but this does not necessarily offer full UV protection. If the drink is in direct light consistently, it will result in premature aging, which will affect the flavor significantly.

Typically, whites wines are the most sensitive to light degradation, but reds will also lose if they are subjected to excessive light. Even though the top of the refrigerator is one of the most popular places to store liquor at home, it is one of the worst places for it.

The top of the refrigerator may be so popular because of its ease of access, the fact that the kids cannot reach it, or the nice little racks that fit perfectly up there. Whatever the reason is, you would be wise to find a different place for your bottles.

The heat from the appliance and direct light from kitchen lights will degrade the quality. You also run the risk of bottles falling and breaking every time you open and close the refrigerator door.

In addition, the refrigerator tends to vibrate when the motor starts running, which is several times every day. The constant vibration of the refrigerator or other major appliances in close proximity just agitates the liquor and can keep the sediment from settling in a red wine.

By intentionally storing it on its side, you will help keep the cork in constant contact with the liquid. This will keep the cork moist, which should keep the cork from shrinking and allowing oxygen to seep into the bottle.

When oxygen comes into contact with the drink, the liquid starts to oxidize, and the aromas, flavors, and color all begin to spoil. While most people do not have onsite rock wall, caves, or underground cellar accommodations, there are plenty of options to mimic these ideal conditions.

Since, light and heat destroy the drink in very little time; make sure to protect it from both by finding a cool, dark spot to safeguard your liquor. Basements are ideal storage facilities since they typically meet the cool and dark requirements.

If a basement is not an option, then just keep the bottles in a cool closet. You can also consider purchasing a wine refrigerator.

These refrigerated cabinets come in a variety of sizes and price points, offering ideal storage conditions to as few as 4 bottles to over 600. Currently there are three ways to close a bottle of liquor, including natural cork, synthetic cork, and screw caps.

Natural cork closures have been used the longest; however, they allow the drink to develop a musty smell and taste. This comes from a substance used to sanitize the natural cork prior to bottling.

The result is a flat, moldy flavor devoid of fruit-filled taste and aroma. Synthetic corks are derived from plastic and appeared to be a viable alternative to traditional corks.

However, their inability to keep oxidation at bay for any real length of time significantly decreases the shelf life and short-changes the maturing process of select wines. Screw caps provide the best seal for bottles, and eliminate the oxidation problem.

While, screw caps do diminish the drama and romance of bottle opening, it does ensure a taint-free wine. It also offers consistent aging, maintained flavor, and freshness with optimum quality control.

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Get Built in Wine Coolers

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If you might be serious about wines or merely progressing to get serious about wines, you know how important temperature is to the well-being of your chosen bottles. You spend a great deal of money and time on your wines that they could be ruined if you do not store them right . They will also age well if properly stored?

You might ruin your wine collection in the event you lack the mandatory storage space. If you intend to age your wines and keep them for years, the very least that can be done is buy a built in wine cooler to keep your collection in tip-top shape for years to come. What is a built in wine cooler? Simply speaking, it is a cupboard space  made for wines. This is crucial for those people who collect wines. It could be used for storage and also being a display case to exhibit your collection. Put the case on the dining room and maybe even your living room.

They ensure that the lighting inside the built in wine cooler is suited to wines since the regular light from refrigerators may cause harm to your wines. It is an effective investment and a very fascinating one at that. Your wines are going to be kept in great shape and it might also be a great accessory to your house because they come in great designs. They won’t clash with your décor to be able to display your wines and your wine cooler with pride. You have to remember that different varieties of wines are stored in several temperatures. You will find built in wine coolers that are fitted with different temperature settings. Your rose wines, red wines and white wines will be kept at the proper temperature and you will have no worries at all.

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Advantages – Storage Of Wine

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The older a wine gets the better it becomes, we all know that. Many people have a craze to collect wines and store them for a long period. There are certain precautions that should be taken when storage of wine is concerned. Humidity, temperature and light play a major role in deteriorating the quality of wine and all these factors should be calculated carefully when you think about storage of wine.

Wines are a product that brings along royalty as the cost is very high at times. They represent sheer class and panache. These days many wines are manufactured for near time consumption but those who can understand the real flair of wine still want to store wine. Storage of wine is no rocket science; there are some basic principles and methods that have to be followed to keep the taste of wine intact.

Always remember when you opt for storage of wine; always make sure that you have a dark area. Exposure of wine to light especially direct sunlight makes the smell unpleasant. Keep your wine draped in a cloth and in a box. The temperature should not be very high or low for the area where you store your wine. Try and keep it as constant as you can. Corked wines should not be kept dry as it dries the cork over a period of time leading the way for air. Also wines should not be moved frequently.

An ideal wine storage space area is lone where the high temperature of wine storage space possibly will be maintained as the high temperature used for wine storage space has to be reserved durable. The wine storage space high temperature necessity neither be too warm and nor too cold, specifically if the wine has to be stored used for longer periods. Many wine lovers favor to work wine storage space refrigerators so as to sustain optimum high temperature which is greatest suited used for wine storage space.

These days there are several companies which offer facilities for storage of wine. These companies provide world class facilities for wine storage along with customized services and some even offer insurance.

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