Tag: Wine

Why You Need a Red Wine Aerator

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Oxidization or aeration is the process of mixing oxygen into a freshly opened bottle of wine. This process ensures that flavours and essential oils meld together, mellowing and rounding out any harsh or tart elements in younger wines. Traditionally, this was done by decanting a bottle into a wide bottomed vessel and leaving it to air for several hours. Thankfully, a new gadget has come on the market that decreases the time needed to mellow your glass or bottle of wine, in minutes, not hours – this is a wine aerator.

Vineyards and restaurants have adopted the gadgets wholeheartedly – they’re often pulled out at wine tastings, where many bottles need to be served at once. Aerators run around the $ 30 mark, with polycarbonate and glass options, in a variety of designs and styles. Aerators work in several ways, some with single chambers that “bubble” the air into the wine, others separate the liquid into streams, increasing air contact as the wine pours through and along the sides of the glass or carafe. The main culprit in the tart or strong flavors in your favorite red are tannins.

Tannins are “flavinoids” in wine that have that bitter, mouth drying sensation. Tannins come from grape skins, stems and seeds, which is why red wines have more tannin than whites – the skins give the wine its dark colour. Tannins are also added by contact with oak or other woods in the wine barrels themselves, though to a much lesser degree. Since tannins have antioxidant properties, they play a key role in the ageing process of wines. As red wines mature, the tannins accumulate together and settle to the bottom of the bottles in a light film of sediment. (This is why you should always watch that last glass of red…the sediment can be very bitter)

Maceration time has a huge impact on the amount of tannin in your wine, and different varieties are known for their heavy tannic properties when young. Wines made from Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon are known to have stronger tannins, like Bordeaux, Barolo and Port. Italian wines and French wines from Burgundy have less tannin, as do Pino Noirs, Roijas and Beaujolais. Regardless of your preference, most young reds will benefit from a swirl through your favourite aerator – whether it’s a bubbler or a streamer. An added bonus to aeration – you can keep that bottle longer, enjoying a single glass at a time instead of decanting an entire bottle.

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Holiday Turkey and Wine

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This past Thanksgiving we were blessed to be invited to a dear friend’s house.  This was the first time in years that we were just able to enjoy the feast and company of friends without the messy clean-up that comes with entertaining in our own home.  I did not have to stuff the turkey or roll up my sleeves at the sink trying to get the baking pan clean.  My joy was short lived when my wife made the Thanksgiving announcement that, “Everyone is invited to our house for a big December holiday feast”.   There was a resounding cheer at the gathering from everyone at the table.  Hands were raised and voices heard to say, “We will be there”.  At the last count we had fifteen couples, my daughter, two grandkids and one obnoxious “grand-dog” called Bones.

When December rolled around, my wife started preparations immediately.  First, we had to do spring cleaning in December, which included walls, furnace registers, base boards, floors, etc.  The next step was the obligatory decorations that needed to be scattered around the house, including an ornate light display for the outside that had me untangling and hanging lights for days.  I was sent to the Party Store to rent tables, chairs and huge serving platters for the food.  My final assignment was to get “The Birds” and the wine to go with it.  I was beginning to wish we had entertained at Thanksgiving.

Before I left to do the shopping, my wife told me, “Make sure you talk to someone at the wine store so you get the right wine to compliment the turkey”.  I said, “Why didn’t you ask everyone to bring their own wine, instead of us risking that we wouldn’t buy their favorite?”  My wife raised her voice at least one octave and replied, “We are doing the entertainment so it is our responsibility not theirs and besides I want everything to be just perfect”.  I love my wife dearly and I have learned when it is best to just say, “Yes Dear”.  Before I left, I hopped on the computer and did my research so I could portray to the wine store clerk how knowledgeable I was about pairing turkey with wine.  I didn’t want to embarrass myself at the wine store.

The general consensus from the web research was for a lighter red (not over burdened with tannins) or several white wines that tended to be fruity and slightly sweeter.  Another caution, that seems well advised, is during dinner stick with wines lower in alcohol content.  Northhamptonwines.com stated, “Save the 15 percent alcohol ‘in your face Zins’ for after dinner when it is OK for folks to go to sleep.” 

The top choices I found for red wine lovers were Pinot Noir, Merlot, Shiraz and Red Zinfandel. White wine enthusiasts might enjoy a Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Beaujolais Nouveau or White Burgundy.  If some of your guests have a sweet-tooth, then try White Zinfandel or Cranberry Wine.  Save the desert wines for after the main meal when it is time to devour the pumpkin and pecan pie.

Not everyone is a wine drinker.  I also ran across some advice for people for pairing turkey with beer and cocktails.  The consensus was that a beer should be complex but not over bearing.  A good choice might be pale ale from one of the smaller breweries.  Another website suggested that for the cocktail drinkers, gin cocktails like an English Rose, Park Avenue or Verbena Martini would work.

I went to the wine store and made my selections with an air of “I know what I am doing”.  When I arrived home my wife said, “What wine did you decide on?” I smiled and told her, “One of each, a total of 12 bottles”. She exclaimed, “We won’t be able to serve all that wine at dinner!”  I responded, “I wouldn’t think of doing that.  I am going to raffle off any that we don’t serve.”  My wife grabbed her forehead and walked away stating, “What I am I going to do with you.”  I let her have the final word and started preparing the raffle tickets.

I always maintain that there are a lot of people that will tell you what wine to pair with what food.  In the end, as I always say, buy the wine you like, store wine properly in a wine refrigerator, serve it at the proper temperature and enjoy it immensely.

See Wine and Beverage Storage Solutions:  http://idealwinecoolers.com/

See Wine and Beverage Information and Facts:  http://winecoolerblog.com/

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Wine Hampers

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This assortment of Wine hampers makes great gifts for the variety of times. Choose the wine hampers as the business gift for clients & employees; we had wine hampers to fit all budgets. & remember the ‘apology’, ‘thank you’, ‘well done’ presents too…say this with style with lone of the hampers.

Hampers Australia – Champagne Baskets & Wine hampers

A Little lavishness has Australia’s main range of Wine hampers through internet & Champagne Gift containers. We offer over seventy five quality wines & champagnes; all of this can be included to any wine hamper. The wines have been cautiously selected from wineries at New Zealand, Australia & France. Most of the Australia’s main wine mounting regions are represented counting: the Capel Vale (Margaret River) in Western Australia; Tatachilla (McLaren Vale), St Hallett & Henschke (the Barossa), Pikes Wines (the Clare Valley), & Tapanappa (Adelaide Hills) in South Australia; Giant Steps & Domaine Chandon (the Yarra Valley) in Victoria; & Brokenwood (the Hunter Valley) north of the Sydney.

We have included a selection as of New Zealand’s Marlborough district (Montana) & France (Joseph Drouhin). more than a few major champagne resides are also represented counting Moet & Chandon, Bollinger, Veuve Clicquot, Piper Heidsieck & Dom Perignon. Each of the wines can too be purchased on the own or along with a matching put of glasses through the wine gifts

Each of the champagne baskets & wine hampers are done to order & can be delivered earlier to anywhere at the Australia. As with each of wine hampers, they could be easily customized in the net. Each gourmet wine or food item is able for being changed by selecting the alternative item at the drop down catalog in the customization options for each wine hamper.

An outstanding worth Christmas wine hamper along with an attractive Chilean Cabernet Carmen ere nestled beside the perfect mixture of sweet & savory goodies. False Sundried Tomato Biscuits, Whisky Fruit Cake, Dark brown Coated Marzipans, & Sweet Apple Chutney are obtainable in the handmade basket & gift wrapped along with ribbon. Celebrate Christmas along with this wine hamper chock-complete of Xmas treasures. The Rich Fruit Cake, Duck Liver Pate with Chocolate Roasted Almonds, Port, Organic Toffee Biscuits & a medal charming Sauvignon Blanc are amid the goodies grafts in the beautiful lidded basket with faux skin straps. The perfect yuletide present for friends, family, colleagues or staff, this is the ideal way to tell ‘Merry Christmas!’

The classic combination, the Cheese and Port Choice is the real delight for some Port or else Cheese enthusiast. The award-winning Extra grown-up Cheddar is joined through Belgian Chocolate parts, Scottish Oatcakes & Hand Made Olive and Oregano Biscuits. This Ramos Pinto harbor is a rich, slight wine which goes completely with cheese & chocolate. An occupied bodied Chilean crimson is beautifully presented along with the mouth-watering collection of celebratory goodies! The tempting shocks include a Brandy Xmas Pudding, Chocolate Coated Nuts, Gourmet Cinnamon Biscuits & more. Delivered along with the Xmas greeting, the handmade basket & gift wrapped along with ribbon.

The Value of Kosher Wine Aeration

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As a true wine lover, I do not just love to drink it. I love the process of winemaking, I love the decisions a vintner makes to perfectly blend or age a superior wine. I also love the rating system discussions since there is so much room for subjectivity. One genre of wine that often gets ignored is that of kosher winemaking. It is a process of steps that are essential for Judaism, and I have recently learned the value of Kosher wine aeration. Prior to utilizing my Wine areator on the Palwin No. 10 that was purchased, I familiarized myself with the steps of the kosher winemaking.

Like the majority of kosher products, it must receive a seal of approval to receive the label “kosher.” While the winemaking process rarely uses any of the forbidden foods in the typical fermenting and bottling process, there is an element that makes this product different from all others. Kosher wine is actually cooked or boiled, as this is considered to make it unfit for pouring to or for an idol. This follows the laws of Judaism and will keep the kosher status if it is subsequently touched by a an idolater(someone who worships to an idol.)

I have found this process very interesting as kosher wine has a very different taste and bouquet than regular wine. This cooking process also gives the need for aeration in order to bring out the most flavor, and maximize the value of your purchase.

When sniffed my very first pour of kosher wine, I noticed the smell was not quite as vibrant as the Pinots and Cabernets I typically drink. The flavor itself seemed stale, and I knew immediately the wine should be exposed to as much oxygen as possible. Utilizing a decanter seemed in order to make sure there was consistency and a breakup of accrued sediment, but I did not have one available.

The process of exposing the wine to oxygen, also know as letting a wine breathe, is greatly increased when using a decanter or wine aerator as the surface area of the wine is maximized. Since my trusty Wine aerator was on hand, it was used for two separate pours into separate wine glasses.

To make sure I was increasing the surface area of the kosher wine as much as possible I utilized the largest wine glasses available. The shape and volume of the glass allowed for efficient swirling, and increased the oxygen appropriately following the wine aeration.

The bouquet of each glass of wine changed dramatically. Each glass of wine smelled fantastic, and the aroma smelled much more of fruit, as it should. The most dramatic change was in the flavor of the wine, as it went from stale to beautifully aromatic. This was only after a minute of breathing following aeration.

While I may have other wines I would prefer to drink over kosher wine, the aeration with the Wine Weaver proved valuable and certainly brought out the most out of my bottle of kosher wine. If your drink kosher wine at family functions, make sure you bring your wine aerator because everyone will thank you.

Falanghina wine in Positano

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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.

The dream came true four decades ago, in ’62, and Ettore Sammarco speaks with emotion and pride. His family always made wine. Their farm is an ancient tradition. But like so many here in the South, selling bulk wine and say anonymously. Although it was very popular, but paid badly. So for years the goal of Hector was to bottle the wine, to treat him better and distributed to restaurants and wine shops are able to appreciate its quality. The large steel silos lay siege to the cellar, the last witness of what was the old company. Which, without prejudice to any more advanced technology, retains the character and structure of the past. Beginning with the family, he sees next to the boss Hector, the son Bart, both working on the production front, while Rosa Maria and Antonio, two daughters, following the administrative and commercial sector.The Doc Amalfi Coast in ’95 gave an extraordinary impetus to the wine production area. A consecration certainly deserved, even if the name of Ravello had a history when it comes to wines.

The guideline has avoided the risk that under this name were marketed mediocre wines with grapes and bastardized. The company under the label Selva delle Monache (the trademark) produces the Ravello Doc in its white, red and rosé.The soil is clay – and the volcanic system of animal husbandry in double Guyot, trellis and pergola. Beyond these common data, each wine has its own path. The white (60% Falanghina, Biancolella 40%) passes from the perfect ripeness of grapes at controlled temperature maceration and subsequent stay in steel for five months. The Ravello Red (40 Piedirosso%, 30% and 30% Aglianico Sciascinoso) has instead a prolonged contact with grape skins for a tannic, and after three months in stainless steel is aged for a year in French oak barrels.Also under the label Selva delle Monache, the Sammarco also produces a Ravello Rosso Riserva, made from Aglianico Piedirosso 70% and 30% is vinified with a short maceration on the skins with the must, then aged six months in steel. Bartolo Sammarco speaks with pride of Ravello Bianco, who does not hesitate to define rare. In fact it is produced only in the best years and about three thousand bottles. It’s the strict selection of grapes a result very happy (Broom 40% and Zita White Biancolella 20%). The grapes all come from the Vineyard Plains Cave, which enjoys a unique exhibition between sea and mountains. Hence the fruity bouquet and a hint of vanilla and toast.

The reference is again to the territory and effort that involves the care of the vineyard. They call it heroic viticulture, but on the Amalfi Coast is not known another type of farming. These terraces and pergolas these, and no one would know otherwise conceive.The Doc Ravello produced by Ettore Sammarco enjoy wide recognition. In the vortex of illustrious, that make Amalfi and its region the privileged refuge of the worlds of art, politics and entertainment, the Selva delle Monache took the bench. Schroeder from Zeffirelli to the great soloists and conductors’ s participating in the festival orchestra in Ravello, all these celebrated wines. And no one has given up a few bottles to take away.

Book our apartment in Positano, and You’ll enjoy the unique atmosphere of this beautiful town

 

 

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