Join a Wine Club
May 30, 2008
Do you suggest I join a wine club? I really don’t have friends or family that are into drinking that much but I’m curious to learn and explore. Thanks for your help. - Linda in Boulder, CO
I highly recommend that you do join a wine club. Being curious is good but only if you satisfy it. For wine virgins, a wine club is a great place to hang out and meet like minded people that will happily take you into the fold and teach you everything you want to know. Also, one of the key benefits here is that you will be able to find out which wines are for you and weed out the others that aren’t.
Its the perfect way to find new wines on a consistent basis rather than having to go through a hit or miss, especially when your dropping good money for a bottle. Depending on how the wine club is set up, either every month or quarter the wine club will get together to where you get the chance to experience a selection of wines from all over the world. These can be whites, reds, rosé and maybe the odd sparkling or dessert wine.
This also will open you up to different wine varietals. Again though, you might not like all of them but this is a great way of wine tasting which provides a chance to enjoy some you’ve probably would have never found otherwise.So do it, simply do it Linda you might surprise yourself with how much you really, really enjoy it. Cheers!!
Wine Storage Tips - The Right Way
May 22, 2008
Any wine storage tips? I bought a case of what hopefully will turn in a great batch and I want to make sure my investment is safe. Do you know what I could do for proper wine preservation? Thanks a whole lot! - Dana in Meridian, MS
Here are wine storage tips for all the lovers of wine who are keen on keeping a few bottles around for that special moment. Follow these easy guidelines for wine preservation and it won’t let you down.
Now, make sure you store your wine horizontally. Allow the wine lay on it’s on side which lets the cork keep in moisture while at the same time serves a dual purpose of letting the sediment to settle down at the bottom of the bottle.
For wine preservation, its absolutely important to keep your wine out of direct sunlight. If a bottle is exposed to light, the end result could lead to a loss of the aromas and flavors. As for other wine storage tips, one of the key things to understand about wine is that you need to keep the temperature in between 55 to 65ºF. If the temperature of the wine fluctuates or if it is stored at a higher temperature, the wine will age much faster.
Wide fluctuations in temperature will make the cork to expand and contract. This will let air into the bottle and the wine will become oxidized under these conditions. Another thing to keep in mind is the proper humidity levels. For wine preservation, having too high a level of humidity can lead to the over all deterioration of the wine labels whereas a low level of humidity can make the cork shrink which again will oxidize the wine or even worse lead to a condition called corked wine.
So there you go, easy huh? If you follow these simple wine storage tips you can make sure that your investment is kept safe and secure so when you are ready to enjoy that perfect bottle you aren’t faced with any surprises. Cheers!!
Wine Tasting Techniques
May 20, 2008
Share some wine tasting techniques with me please, I’m having trouble being able to really pick out the certain flavors of a wine. Much thanks Wine Virgin!! - Stacy in Summerville, SC
Wine tasting techniques? Never quite heard it put that way before Stacy but I will definitely show you some very simple wine tasting advice to develop your taste buds so you can enjoy all the flavors and aroma that wine can offer. First off, don’t be too worried in the beginning if you are having trouble developing your ability to taste. Some wines can have very subtle characteristics that the typical wine virgin might not be aware of.
Something that you can do for starters is go read my post real quick on how to cleanse your palate. This puts your nose and tongue at neutral place to start off at. When you are about to taste wine, always make sure you do this simple process first before you continue. Now have a notebook ready as well so you can jot down some wine tasting notes for refernce in the future to help you better discern between the all different types of wine. Here are 3 simple wine tasting tips to help you get your feet wet.
Really look at your wine. Sounds simple enough huh? Fill the bottom of your glass with wine and hold it up to the light. Take into account the color of it and if it appears clear or cloudy. Every wine will have a variation in its tint and slowly you will be able to tell the difference in similar wines based of their color.
Take a whiff. Seriously, the majority of our taste really comes through the nose and in order to taste a wine properly you really have to smell it first. Now hold the glass by it’s stem and swirl the wine around. This helps to release the flavor of it. Swirling the wine will actually fill the glass with the wine’s aroma. Now after you have finished swirling the wine, take another smell.
After this, you should be able to note a difference. How does the wine smell to you after doing this? Do this a few times and see if you can notice any changes. Now heres the fun part, take a small sip and taste it. Swish the wine around gently in your mouth. If aren’t really able to pick up those subtle flavors, don’t fret. This first taste prepares your mouth for the full pleasure of the wine.
After you’ve prepared your mouth, take your time with the second taste and allow yourself to begin to savor the wine. Again, swish it wash around in your mouth so you can enjoy the full flavor of it and here are some more wine tasting tips.
You need to inhale the scent through your nose as you continue to take sips. This allows you to get an idea of all the different flavors after you have become familiar with this process and have begun to compare different wines. With practice you will develop the ability to pick out wines from the wine tasting advice given above and with enough time you’ll get to enjoy the rich complexities of any bottle that you desire. Cheers!!
Passito Wine - Appassimento and Recioto
May 19, 2008
Could you tell me what appassimento, recioto and passito stand for? I recall that passito of them is a type of wine but I’m confused about how they are all related. Thank you!! - Shelly in Toronto, Canada
You are correct! Passito wines are a full flavored and very complex bodied wines made from partially withered grapes. This is where you get the term appassimento. Now, for this production technique, appassimento means either leaving the grapes to raisin on the vine or picking and then drying them on mats of straw or reed, bamboo racks, or strung in bunches under the rafters and can lead to either a very sweet wine or a dry wine depending on the process.
Here is where a lot of wine virgins get this confused… passito is a type of wine. So after the grapes go through the appassimento process they are termed as passito. The other side of this is recioto which is a sub-category of passtio. This type of wine is classified as a passito wine from the Veneto in Northeastern Italy.
Also, some common types of recioto that you will find are Recioto della Valpolicella which is a sweet red wine along with Recioto di Soave which is a gorgeous sweet white wine. So what are you waiting for? Go track down a few bottles of recioto and try it for yourself! Cheers!!
Red Wine Benefits
May 12, 2008
What are some red wine benefits? A few of my friends were talking about how red wine consumption can make you more healthy but I’m skeptical. What do you have to say about it? - Camera in Fremont, CA
Believe it or not red wine benefits do actually exist. I mean how better can it be that something you love and enjoy can actually keep you healthy and living longer? Researchers in Europe suggest that a couple glasses a day of red wine has a protective effect on all-cause mortality. According to studies from France, UK, Finland and Denmark, moderate consumption of wine is more beneficial than beer or your favorite hard liquor.
If you’re a smoker, drinking red wine on consistent basis does help to reduce your susceptibility of damage to your heart and blood vessels, but then again… hmmm we all know that smoking isn’t the best habit to have. So don’t excuse this habit by thinking you’re helping yourself in any way.
Moderate… red wine consumption may also prevent coronary heart disease and this process is related to a higher production of good LDL cholesterol vs bad HDL cholesterol. Strangely enough, consuming this wonderful drink can lead to a reduction in blood clots as well.
Also, if you are not big on the idea of putting back a couple glasses per day and are worried about the calories in a glass of wine, there has been a lot of hoopla about the famed red wine pill. If you are willing to take that leap and buy red wine supplements, I highly suggest that you take the time to do the proper research necessary to know exactly what you are putting into your body. A lot of not so wonderful people will create a fly by night product just to capitalize off of people’s desire to be healthy, so be on guard.
However, there has been some research done on certain red wine supplements suggesting that they do incur a benefit to those who choose to use them. But again, you should always know what you put into your body. There ya go, if you’re a lush like me, you now have a valid reason to increase your daily alcohol intake and enjoy all the ensuing benefits. Cheers!!
Wine Tasting Tips - Wine Vocabulary
May 8, 2008
Can you give me some wine tasting tips to increase my vocabulary? I want to be able to put words to what I taste when drinking a good bottle. What common wine terms are used to describe wine in a consistent manner? - Janice in Flagstaff, AZ
Developing a broad wine vocabulary of what wine tastes like makes it possible to communicate the tastes and smells that we experience when tipping back a few glasses. Here is a quick break down of the wine terminology that relates to the most common flavors you will find.
Floral - Geranium, Violet, Rose, Orange Blossom
Spicy - Licorice, Anise, Black Pepper, Cloves
Fruity - Citrus,Berry, Tree Fruit, Dried Fruit
Vegetative - Fresh, Canned/Cooked, Nutty
Caramelized - Honey, Butterscotch, Butter
Woody - Vanilla, Cedar, Oak, Smoky
Earthy - Moldy Cork, Musty, Mildew, Mushroom, Dusty
Having the ability to put actual wine terms to what you taste can give you a lot of confidence when you’re at a wine tasting event or out to dinner with that special love interest. Remember though that sometimes just sitting back and enjoying the flavors of the wine as it wanders it’s way around your tongue are the best moments to enjoy in silence. Cheers!!