Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Top 5 Reasons to Become a Wine Consultant

Mom's are you wondering how becoming a wine consultant can really benefit you?

5. Get away from your family - Hey, we all need alone time, some more than others. After a week of cooking, cleaning, the never, ever, ever ending laundry, you just get fed up. Get out of the house, meet new people, and you just might find you actually like your family more than you thought!

4. Learn new skills, and I don't mean how to eat and change a diaper at the same time - There is a whole world of possibilities out your front door that don't involve always having a change of clothes with you in case of "accidents." (Although with wine, that can still come in handy!)

3. You get to play dress up - And it doesn't involve a boa and plastic see thru chunky heels, well, unless you really want it to. Can you imagine getting a shower, putting on makeup and nice clothes? And all on the same day? Score!

2. Travel around the world for free - It's business and it's FREE, your husband can't say no!

1. Drink on the job - Aww hell yea. And you get paid to do it!

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Wine Tasting Party Themes

If you are like me and you throw numerous wine parties throughout the year, sometimes you just want to mix it up a little. Creating a wine theme can be fun and educational, especially for those "wine snobs" that think they know everything.

Blind Wine Tasting - A blind tasting can be extrememly fun for beginners and the serious wine connoisseur. Have each guest write down which grape the wine is made from, which region it's made in, and how much they think the wine costs.

Regional Wine Tasting - Straight forward but fun nonetheless! Each guest brings their favorite wine from whichever region of the world you have chosen.

Vertical Wine Tasting - A vertical wine tasting is where you try wines made from the same grape but grown in different countries or regions. See if you can taste the difference in a Chardonnay from California and one from Italy.

Dessert Wine Tasting - A dessert wine tasting can be done one of two different ways. You can either have just dessert wines, or pair any type of wine with different dessert foods. Either way, you'll enjoy one sweet evening!

Wine and Chocolate Tasting - Our two favorite things in the world! Just make sure your wine is sweeter than your chocolate and you are good to go.

Wine and Cigar Tasting - Perfect tasting for the manly wine drinkers. Ports are especially excellent with cigars.

Money and Wine Tasting - This one is a blast, especially with the wine snob crowd. Give each guest two glasses with the same wine. Tell them two different prices, say one is $7.99 and one is $29.99, ask them which they like better. They might get a little testy when you tell them they are the same wine and there should be no difference in taste, but it's interesting to see if people "prefer" the cheap wine or the expensive.

Wine and Junk Food Tasting - Which wines go best with your favorite potato chips? burgers? twinkies? popcorn?

Green Wine Tasting - Lots of wine makers are going green to help the environment and create a better grape, so give them a try!

Monday, February 11, 2008

Serving wine at the right temperature, it's personal now

I remember my first glass of red wine. I was at a restaurant for a Christmas party of a friend in college. The owners convinced me to try a glass as I wasn't a big drinker, probably the only college student at the time that could claim so. The warm liquid did not suit my palate at the time, little did I know that 10 years later I would rather have wine than water. Back then I was accustomed to drinking things at one of two temperatures, scolding hot, or ice cold.

Personal taste, common sense and custom will play a role in what temperature you prefer your wine, but there are some guidelines to help you get started. In the US most consumers prefer ice water while our British counterparts enjoy their water at room temperature. In the end, the right temperature is the one that makes the wine taste it's best to you.

Professionals say to keep most sparkling, white and rose wines between 45-50 degrees. Most refrigerators are set around 40 degrees, so if your wine has been in the fridge for awhile, it might be a good idea to let it warm up for 20-30 minutes before pouring a glass. Most reds will be enjoyed between 60-65 degrees. People refer to serving red wine at "room temperature", but I know they haven't been in my room when discussing this, since I like to keep the thermometer at about 78 degrees. If your home is warm like mine, you might want to pop your red wine into the fridge for 20-30 minutes to bring the temperature down.

Testing wine is my favorite part about learning, so it's fun to take a new, or favorite wine and try it at different temperatures to see where you feel the wine is best balanced. Don't be afraid to be different, I know plenty of wine drinkers that prefer their glass of red with a single ice cube resting in it. While I wouldn't recommend it, I'm certainly not going to try to take their enjoyment away from them.

Saturday, February 9, 2008

History of Australian Wine

When thinking of the production of wine, you would be forgiven for thinking that that Australia was fairly new in the industry. However, you could not be farther from the truth. When looking back through the history of Australian wine, it has been noted that the earliest settlers planted vines in Australia in 1788. Although these wine making attempts failed, it was only a few years later that the first grapes were successfully grown. In the 200 or so years since then, Australia has been growing bigger and bigger in it's wine-producing industry and is now the second largest importer of wine to the United States, Italy being the largest importer.

In the history of Australian wine, you can see that the country started exporting it's produce from an early time. It was in 1822 that the first shipment of wine traveled from near Sydney to London and the quality was recognizable, even then. That exact batch of wine that was shipped won an award for it's quality in the following year!

It was during the reign of Queen Victoria that the industry really began to set off, when gold was discovered in Melbourne in the 1840's. Currently Australia employs 16,000 people in the production of wine and also another 5,000 in selling it. In one twelve month period, it was recorded that the wine sales generated in that year was around 354 million litres and in the year after that, 250 million litres of it was exported to generate a worth of around $1.2 billion.

Due to this impressive exportation rate that grew 22% in value, and 12% in volume in a period of two years alone, it has been predicted that Australia will soon become one of the world's greatest wine producers. Not bad for a "late bloomer!" There are roughly 40 wine growing regions in Australia, the best of which are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, and Western Australia.

In 1990 Australia put into effect the Label Integrity Program (LIP), which regulates the vintage, varietal, and geographical indications of wines produced in Australia.

If you were to ask yourself why this impressive country has grown so much in it's wine-producing industry, you would have to look at two main factors. One of these would be the great climate it has to offer to grow the grapes in, and the other being the lack of "prohibition" on the industry. The country has faced a few hard times over the years in it's wine making but has overcome these and managed to grow more impressively by the year!

Friday, February 8, 2008

Wine, it's what's for dessert

There aren't many things that can make my mouth water more than wine and chocolate. Dessert wines and pairing everyday wines with desserts are becoming more popular, and for good reason. Sweet wines can even replace those decadent calorie rich dishes as dessert all on it's own!

As you are preparing your next meal think about finishing with one of these choices:

Port - The perfect compliment to dark chocolate, cheesecake or Stilton cheese
Madeira - Creme caramel, milk chocolate or coffee flavored desserts will fuse effortlessly
Asti Spumante or Moscato - Fresh fruits and biscotti
Sauterne - Fruits, creme brulee or Roquefort cheese

Of course if you are serving chocolate you can also pair your favorite Merlot, Zinfandel or Pinot Noir for a decadent ending.

When pairing dessert wines it's important to make sure the wine is sweeter than the dessert so it doesn't taste harsh or too acidic. And remember, sweet wines aren't only for dessert, they can be used as an aperitif as well, so don't be shy, greet your guests with a glass!

History of Italian Wine

Italian wine is very often described as one of the best wines in the world. From the cheapest bottle to the most expensive, every mouthful is one of enjoyment and you will find it a struggle to find a bottle of Italian wine that is not up to scratch. There are over two thousand different wine labels produced in Italy from twenty regions and 96 provinces.

For many generations, it has been known for wine to play a very important part of the society. From the poorest, to the richest, all Italian's loved a glass of wine, even that long ago. The first wine started as people juicing the grapes to drink the juice out of them. Obviously, as the juice sat there, waiting to be drunk, it fermented and became alcoholic and therefore you have your glass of wine. From that very first idea of wine, it has evolved into a massive industry and has become what it is today.

Italy is known as one of the oldest wine regions in the world and was believed to have started around 4000-3000BC with the Romans. Back then, the alcohol was incredibly strong, with none of the additives and ingredients that we use today. To make this wine more palatable, the Romans would dilute it with water and even add other ingredients which to use may seem a bit odd. Honey was used quite often as were other herbs and spices, and even chalk was used to reduce the bitterness of the taste! The white wine was also more prized and still is known as the better of the three - Red, Rose and White, even today.

In the nineteenth Century, the old Italian wine makers learned better processes to make the wine taste better and more palatable and even learned how to bottle the wine. Before very long, it was shipped all over Europe and other parts of the world and thus started the reputation it has developed for being the nicest regions of wine making. It was also learned, even before the nineteenth Century, that keeping the wine in very tightly closed containers improved the taste and quality of the wine.

In 1963 the Denominazione di Origine Controllata (the DOC), similar to the French AOC took over control of the production and labeling of Italian wine to ensure production quality. Unlike the AOC, the DOC has aging requirements. The current top three producing regions are Veneto, Piedmont and Tuscany, which many of you will recognize.

From the very first bottle of wine until now, the quality of Italian wine has never really been disagreed with and even though the country is now split in to different regions of wine making, the country is still very much renowned for making the best bottle of wine in the world! This reputation, I'm sure will remain for many years to come!

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Wine Corks - why are we seeing more screw caps?

According to studies, wine corks represent at least two thirds of the cork industry, which is a $1.3 billion industry. It is feared that with the reduced amounts of wine companies using corks in their wine bottles, the industry will dramatically reduce and the forests used to manufacture the cork will be unprofitable and could be subject to destruction.

So, why is it that has made these wine companies change from corks to fake corks and screw caps? After all, corks have been used to seal these bottles of wine for thousands of years and all good French wines have been using them for at least four hundred years, so why the big change?

The answer to that question is simple. The technology for sealing bottles of wine has evolved as everything in life has. They aren't top of the range technology anymore and to be frank, they aren't even particularly good at what they are meant to do. Ok, they stop the wine from escaping, but, and this is quite a big but, they are subject to a chemical called 2,4,6-trichloroanisole. You may have no idea what this chemical is, but it is estimated to affect 3-7% of all wines that use natural corks. It is a foul tasting chemical and it can severely ruin a wine's flavor. This defies the point of using it, especially if you are planning to age the wine for several years.

Another reason why the change has been introduced is because the demand for wine has increased dramatically over recent years. This has meant that more bottles of wine need corks, and the supply of good quality corks are becoming hard to find to meet the demand. Cork trees cannot be harvested for the first time until they are 54 years old! After each harvesting you must then wait another 9 years before cork can be taken from the same tree. That is one reason why synthetic cork substitutes are being used. However, these aren't particularly brilliant for stronger wines and have been proven to be harder to remove than real corks.

It is this reason why screw caps are becoming more and more popular amongst wine companies. They do not leak and therefore do the same job as the cork, but with more practicality. They are cheaper and easier to produce and the styles and makes of screw caps made ensure that the metal in the cap do not affect the wine in any way. Australia is leading the way in screw caps with almost 50% of their wines being closed with them.

Screw tops have proven to be more practical than corks or even synthetic corks, but some people argue that it takes away the romance of a bottle of wine. Can a good quality, well-aged bottle of wine really be respected and enjoyed with a cheap and nasty screw top? Different people have different answers to that question, and it is one that is left to the drinkers preferred taste. The question you have to ask yourself is, how long will it be before all bottles of wine are sealed in this way?

History of California Wine

The U.S state of California is accountable for almost ninety percent of American wine production and is almost three quarters the size of France, meaning that if the state was a country by itself, it would be the worlds fourth largest wine producer.

The history of California wine dates back to as far as the 18th Century when vines were planted by the Spanish to produce the wine needed for Mass. It was also needed for daily life, and to generate an income. It was the grapes use in the celebration of Mass that caused it to be called the "Mission Grape" and this grape became the most predominant one used in California up until the nineteenth century.

The local demand for wine was dramatically increased during the 19th Century, when the California Gold Rush occurred. New settlers came to the area increasing the population and the popularity of drinking wine. It was during this time that some of California's oldest vineyards were founded. Up until 1980, when the Chinese Exclusion Act came about, it was the Chinese that helped to develop the wine industry. They were used to maintain the vineyards, digging the underground cellars and also harvesting the grapes to make the wine. There were even a few of them that were assisting in the wine making process.

It was the mid twentieth century that California was first recognized as an award winning wine making region when it beat the French in both red and white categories in the Judgment of Paris wine competition, and it is because of that and the turnaround that was brought about in the late 1980's that made the region what it is today. In the 1980's, people were getting bored with the Bordeaux and Chardonnay types of wine that California kept producing and to ensure interest wasn't lost, new varieties were planted, such as Pinot Grigio and Syrah.

These days, there are more than 60,000 wine labels registered in California, producing wine that covers every style - sparkling wines, dessert wines and also fortified wines. There are four main regions wine making regions: North Coast, North Central Coast, South Central Coast and San Joaquin Valley. Although Napa and Sonoma are the most well known names, they only produce about 15% of California wines.

The wine industry has a larger impact on California economy than even Hollywood does, with $45 billion being in injected into the economy each year, compared to just $30 billion for the film industry.

Basic Wine and Cheese Pairings

All wine connoisseurs will tell you that there are specific wines that match up with specific foods and pairing wine with cheese is no exception. However, it can be argued that there are no definite answers, only basic guidelines. The best way to find out this information is to find your own personal preference and to be creative. Use the guidelines as you wish, but only you can decide which cheese you like to go with which wine.

The basic wine and cheese pairings that you will find, if you look at any website or in any book on such a subject are basically following two simple rules. White wines tend to go well with soft cheeses that have a stronger, more pungent flavor and smell. Red wines generally work better with hard cheeses that have much milder flavors. Once you bear these rules in mind, it can't hurt to be imaginative and try out different combinations to see which ones you like. You never know you might just find a wine and cheese pairing that differs from the rules, but still works well anyway!

When looking at white wines, the fruitier and sweeter white wines and the dessert wines tend to work really well with a massive range of cheeses, from the hard to the soft, from the smelly to the mild. If you are planning a wine and cheese party, this wine would be the best place to start, especially if you are a beginner in such a topic. Dry white wines tend to only work with a few select cheeses, as I will explain.

Champagne and sparkling white wines have a tendency to work well with strong cheeses such as Brie and Camembert. If you prefer a nice bottle of Chardonnay, however, the best cheese that you should start at is milder and much softer to the sense of smell. Something like mild cheddar, perhaps, or Gruyere. Goat cheeses seem to work really well with most of the Loire Valley wines and also a nice bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.

When looking at red wines, bear in mind the above guideline - harder, yet milder tasting cheeses work better. Therefore, if you are about to open a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, a Camembert or sharp cheddar would be the cheese of choice. A bottle of Shiraz would also go nicely with the strong cheddar. If you were to be eating Stilton or Gorgonzola, however, a nice fortified wine, such as Port would be the best pairing.

Some other wine and cheese suggestions:
Beaujolais - brie, feta, muenster
Bordeaux - havarti
Cabernet Sauvignon - brie, camembert, strong cheddar, Danish blue
Champagne - vintage brie, mild cheddar, chevre, colby, edam, gouda
Chardonnay - mild cheddar, gruyere, provolone
Chenin Blanc - camembert
Gewurztraminer - boursin, caraway, chevre, swiss
Riesling - cheshire, colby, edam, gouda, monterey jack
Rioja - strong cheddar, havartiSancerre - goat cheese
Sauvignon Blanc - strong cheddar, gruyere
Sherry - bleu
Sherry, sweet - vintage brie
Port, Tawny - bleu, roquefort, stilton
White Zinfandel - cream cheese
Zinfandel - muenster

At the end of the day, these are only guidelines to allow you to pair cheese and wine accordingly. You are an individual, and should therefore experiment with your own tastes. Why not have a wine and cheese party and work out different combinations? The more you try, the more likely you are to find a good combination. Have fun with your wine and cheese, but most of all, enjoy it!

What should you think about while tasting wine?

While you are tasting wine, your mind will be racing to connect all the senses to determine whether or not you like the wine. So what should you be paying attention to?

There are only four tastes you can perceive, sweet, salty, bitter, and sour. Wine contains no salt, so you should not taste perceive any saltiness so we can really only determine sweet, bitter and sour on our tongue when tasting wine. Any sour flavor will usually indicate acidity while bitterness is produced from tannins and high alcohol. You can usually tell this if you are a new wine drinker by what I call a "bite" when you take your first sip, tannins are not a taste, it's a sensation. Sweetness occurs in wines that have sugar leftover in them.

Sweetness will be tasted on the tip of your tongue and will usually be tasted right away. Any sour or acidic flavor will appear on the sides of your tongue against your cheeks and possibly at the back of your throat, while bitterness will grip you on the back of your tongue. The aftertaste of wine is important to think about in terms of how balanced the flavors remain in your mouth after swallowing. Aftertaste of excellent wines usually lasts 1-3 minutes.

As you combine what is happening to your taste buds with what you smell in the wine, you will begin to be able to differentiate between varietals and understand which wines you will like better.

History of French Wine

It is estimated that there are approximately 150,000 grape growers in France and almost 1.5 billion gallons of wine are produced from this country on a yearly basis. It is now known as one of the world's biggest wine exporters and it has many different recognized wine-producing regions.

When thinking of the history of French wine, you have to look as far back as the 6th Century BC. Farther forward than that, however, is where I would like to start. This is the Middle Ages, when Monks maintained the Vineyards and they also guarded the wine making skills and also the knowledge required to make wine, very closely. This is because the Monasteries had the resources required to produce the wine that was needed, not only to celebrate Mass but also to produce a regular income. During this period, the Monk's wine was considered as far more superior to that made anywhere else, by anyone else.

As time went on, the Monk's were not the only ones to have control over the vineyards. Rich men and also Noblemen started to acquire the vineyards and grow grapes to make wine for themselves and also to generate an income. The French Revolution, however, soon put a stop to this and the vineyards that were owned by the Monks and the Noblemen were confiscated.

Most of the wine in the history of French wine was drank locally, until about the 1850's when exportation started to produce a recognized income. This was mainly due to railways being developed and also the improvement of major roadways, which meant that transportation costs were decreasing steadily.

In 1953, quality control laws were set up by the Appellation d’Origine Controlee (the AOC) to control the wine making systems, to ensure all wine was made to meet certain rules and regulations. These laws set a precedent and made the French wine making system one of the best in the world. These days, many European wine making regions base their methods on those used by the French and also by the quality control rules that were introduced.

France is now renowned for producing some of the best quality wines in the world, and also the most classic wines that are generally more expensive to buy. Because of this, it is hardly surprising that wine making is one of the Countries biggest economic industries and will continue to be for years to come.

Wine Tasting Steps

When tasting wine, there are four main steps to consider. As with any hobby, the motto practice makes perfect comes into play, and the more you taste wine, the better you will become at it. The following four wine tasting steps are a basic guide, and you, as a wine taster, will find what works for you. Everything basically comes down to the preference of the taster. The main thought behind wine tasting is to use as many of your senses as you can, and you will see how by following these wine tasting steps.

The first of the wine tasting steps is sight. You need to look at the wine. The best way to do this is to have the wine in a clear wine glass, making sure the glass is completely clean. You must then either hold the glass up to the light or against a white backdrop to check the color of it. There are a few things to check for when checking the appearance of the wine. The clarity of the wine, the brilliance of the color and how clear it is. Obviously, with practice, you will become better at this, and you will learn what to look for.

The second of the wine tasting steps is smell. First of all, you need to learn to swill the wine glass with only your wrist and not your whole arm. This, again, takes practice, but the more you do it, the better at it you will become. This swirling action will bring the different aromas within the wine to come to the top of the glass. With your mouth open, put your nose so that it is just over the edge of the glass and take a deep breath. At this point, you should try and see if you can name different smells within the wine. This should be repeated after resting your sense of smell for a couple of seconds.

The third point in the wine tasting steps is taste. You should take a drink of the wine and try to roll it around your tongue before you swallow it. While you are swallowing, you should exhale through your nose and this is to try and get the two senses working together to get the most out of your wine tasting experience. During the second sip of the wine, you should try to swish it around your mouth somewhat and then exhale through the nose as you swallow. Once swallowed, you should note if there is any aftertaste and if it is a certain taste or a few tastes combined.

The final point in the wine tasting steps is down to personal preference and that is to spit or not to spit. This is down to the individual taster, some prefer to spit, some don't. There are no direct rules, but some believe that it helps to find the aftertaste.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Wine Basics

There are lots of anecdotes on how wine was discovered. My favorite is a King who so prized his grapes, that he hid them in containers marked "Poison" so no one would eat them. When his wife decided to end her life, she drank from one of the bottles and instead of dying, she discovered the joys of wine. Most historians agree that the first wine production happened in Mesopotamia, now Iran, around 6000 BC. From there we can follow wine drinking to ancient Egypt in heiroglyphics and burial sites where vessels likely to contain wine have been discovered.

As the Greeks conquered new nations, vineyards moved with them to Rome where we see specific references in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. The Romans continued their wine education by classifying different types of wine and learning irrigation and fertilizing techniques. The German History Museum of the Pfalz has a wonderful Wine Exhibit available online and in person showing wine antiquities, like the oldest wine bottle discovered in Speyer Germany, from around 325 AD.

So what is wine? Simply put, wine is the fermented juice of grapes. Fermentation involves adding sugar and yeast in order to produce alcohol and CO2. The carbon dioxide dissipates into the air unless the wine is put through a second fermentation process to create Champagne and other sparkling wines which keep the bubbles in the bottle.