A Fine Wines Artilce for Your Viewing

Wine Labels Decoded

Even for the avid wine drinker, deciding on a bottle of wine can be a daunting task with so many varieties of wine on the market today. Wine labels don?t help either with the various terms in foreign languages and the small print. Sometimes reading a wine label makes you feel like you need a secret decoder ring, but rest assured that this is not to confuse you the customer, but rather to help you. The information on the label is there to tell you about the wine and also the winery and conditions of production. Once you have an idea of what to look for on a wine label, deciphering it shouldn?t require much effort.

The Brand Name: This is the name of the company that has produced the wine. Most often this is the name of the winery or bottler if the winery has several different brands.

Vintage: Most wines will carry the vintage somewhere on the bottle, although this is not a mandatory requirement and will not be on all bottles. A vintage is the year that the grapes used were harvested. Most wine producing countries have laws that require at least 85 percent of the grapes used to be harvested in the specified year of vintage although in the United States this figure can be as high as 95 percent.

Appellation of Origin: This is the geographical area where the grapes were grown, for example ?California? or more a more specific vineyard. Most countries have strict laws regarding an appellation classification, which is why like the vintage; at least 85 percent of the grapes used must be from their specified region.

Wine Type: This specifies the grapes used to make the wine. Again this can be as broad as ?Red Table Wine? or as specific as Merlot or Chardonnay. Most wine producing countries allow the use of some non-varietal grapes in the blend. In Europe and Australia, at least 85 percent of the wine?s content must be from the named varietals, while in some parts of the United States this figure is much lower at about 75 percent.

Producer and Bottler: What this part of the bottle signifies varies greatly depending on where the bottle of wine originates from. If grapes are harvested and bottled at the winery it is considered to be ?estate bottled? and the label will state this using Mise en bouteille(s) au Chateau (French), Gutsabf?llung/Erzeugerabf?llung (German) or simply Estate Bottled.

According to Napa Valley Vintners online (napavintners.com) it is even more specific for American bottled wines and the terminology even more specifically determines how the wine was bottled: ??Produced and bottled by? certifies that the bottler fermented 75% or more of the wine. Used in combination with other information on the label, such as a vineyard, this term provides the consumer with significant information about the origin of the wine and who is responsible for its production. ?Cellared and bottled by? indicates that the bottler has aged the wine or subjected it to cellar treatment before bottling. ?Made and bottled by? indicates that the bottler fermented at least 75% of the wine (10% before July 28, 1994). ?Bottled by? indicates that the winery bottled the wine, which may have been grown, crushed, fermented, finished, and aged by someone else.?

Other Required Information: This depends on what country the wine is from. For example, wines sold in the United States are required to have (at least on the back label) alcohol content, contents size, and consumer warnings from the Surgeon General as well as a sulphite warning while in Germany wine are required to have an Amptliche Pr?fungs Nummer which is a number received while in testing. The famous wine regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy and Alsace in France will carry the term Cru somewhere on the label to indicate that the wine is from a town or producer of high quality.

While this still might be very overwhelming, when looked at from a point of view of the winemaker, a wine label really is there to help you as the consumer, not hinder your decision making. Everything on a wine label is there to inform you of where the wine came from and how it was produced, and while it might take you a lifetime to be able to completely understand every single term that is put on a wine bottle, being able to understand the basics will be advantageous. It is important to remember that rules will vary from country to country as to what is required to be on a wine bottle or specific terms used. What might be required in France might not be required in Chile.

About the Author:

Ken Finnigan is the CEO of Finest Wine Racks a website specializing in quality decorative wine racks and durable wine storage systems. Also vist the Finest Wine Racks Blog

Another short Fine Wines review

Wine Labels Decoded


Even for the avid wine drinker, deciding on a bottle of wine can be a daunting task with so many varieties of wine on the market today. Wine labels do...


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Links and info on the winter 2009 version of Baltimore Restaurant Week, featuring reasonable prices on 3-course meals at nearly 100 local fine dining establishments. Great hints on the best places to go, especially for the wine lover in the Baltimore/DC area.

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Valentine's Day LingerieSome of the Sexiest Valentine's Day Lingerie Cupid could find this Valentines Day.Fine Sexy and romantic lingerie gifts for you & your sweetie.Delightfully decadent Plus Size Valentines Day lingerieYou can find it all here at:Classie Ladies Lingerie & Decadent Esential's Gourmet Food & Wine Gift Baskets delivered.

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Today's Cabernet Wine Article

How To Make Homemade Wines


Prepare the Produce ??? First, inspect the fruit to ensure the grapes are ripe and free of insects or other contaminants. Put the grapes in the straining bag and measure the sugar level using your hydrometer. A hydrometer can be purchased at any wine making store. The sugar density should be 22 ideally. Also, remember to remove the stems from all grapes in order to make your wine smoother and sweeter. Finish this step by transferring the ingredients into the jug. Wine has been an important part of any occasion. It is commonly made from fermented grape juice, flowers, and grains. Countries like Italy, Portugal, United States, and Argentina are among the largest exporters of different wines.

Art of Wine Tasting.





The most expensive kind of wine is called ???vintage???. Vintage wines are made from the highest quality grapes that are harvested several years before they are sold to the public.





While some wines are very expensive, there are some of good quality and that are relatively inexpensive. Among these wines are homemade wines that are commonly served to show old English hospitality.





Home winemaking is an exciting hobbiy designed for people who love social drinking or who are fond of giving away wine as gifts. Here are some tips on how to make homemade wine:





1. Get fresh produce from fields and orchards that let buyers pick their own fruits. Another option is getting fruit concentrate being sold by local winemaking stores.





2. Buy equipment needed in home winemaking. These are fermentation locks, Demijohns, plastic funnels, trial jars, siphon tubes, and wine bottles with corks.





3. Gather necessary ingredients to put flavor and a distinct taste to the wine. These are yeast, pectic enzyme, wine tannin, acid blend, and campden tablets.





4. Get recipies of the favorite wines to have accurate information about the exact amount of ingredients to use. The tip in making the best wine is accurately mixing ingredients to achieve desired taste.





5. Use fermentation bags in collecting pulp and submerge it into the wine mixture. Set aside covered fermenter within 24 hours.





6. Put yeast on the grape juice surface and cover it. Let the mixture ferment within 7 days.





7. After 7 days, discard pulp and siphon the mixture to prepare for secondary fermenter.





8. Add water to the wine mixture and allow it to ferment for 4-6 weeks or until it appears completely clear. Use hydrometer to make sure fermentation has been completed. Hydrometer should show 0.989 and 0.990 on its gravity scale.





9. The wine should be cleared completely after following the first 8 steps. After that, siphon the wine and add five crushed campden tablets.





10. Bottle the homemade wine and let it age.







Today, the best wines on the market are home made. They are surprisingly delicious and inexpensive. Anyone can make wine by simply following these 10 basic steps and then you can start impressing friends and family members during get-togethers.











Learn the art of Wine Tasting







Wine Tasting for beginners

A synopsis on Cabernet Wine.

How To Make Homemade Wines


Prepare the Produce ??? First, inspect the fruit to ensure the grapes are ripe and free of insects or other contaminants. Put the grapes in the strain...


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California Wine For Your Reading Pleasure

Aging Wine

Wine is a complex substance. Open a bottle of it now, and it may taste fine. Open a bottle of the same wine several years from now, and the wine becomes something else entirely. Rough edges in the flavor will have smoothed out and the overall flavor of the wine will be more balanced and mellow.

Why age wine? Well, as stated above, the many components of the wine will mellow out over time, and bring a harmonious balance to the flavor of the wine. The tannins, present in red wine, bring a bitter and astringent flavor. Given time, the tannins help to age the wine. As wine ages, the tannins precipitate out of the wine, leaving a smoother and more mellow flavor. As the wine ages, the acids will lose a bit of their bite, allowing the fruit to come out more. As the components of the wine age, they also bring more complexity to the flavor. What you end up with after several years of proper aging is a complex and balanced wine.

What wines should be aged? There are certain guidelines as to what wines should and should not be aged, but they are simply guidelines, not hard and fast rules. Most wines from California are meant to be consumed immediately, and should not be aged. Most white wines should not be aged, as they have a lower amount of tannins than red wine. It is the tannins that are present in red wine that allow the wine to age well. There are a few white wines, however that will improve with a couple of years of aging. Most wines under $25 don't need to be aged. Many French wines are meant to age and mature over several years. There are exceptions to these rules. Go into a wine shop, and ask which wines they would recommend for aging. They can recommend several good wines, along with some ideas of how long to age the wine.

How do I age wine? Proper storage is essential for a wine to age well. Cooler temperatures slow down the aging process, allowing time for the complexity of the wine to develop. The wine should be stored at a constant temperature of 50-60 degrees F. Fluctuating temperatures will cause the wine and the cork to expand and contract, loosening the cork, and exposing the wine to oxygen. The wine should be stored on it's side, so that the wine is in contact with the cork, preventing it from drying out. The storage area should be dark, and have plenty of moisture to keep the cork from drying, which may loosen it, and subject the wine to oxidation.

Once you have a proper storage area for your wine, go to your local wine shop, and get their recommendations on a good aging wine. Buy a case of wine, and then open up one of the bottles when you get home and taste it. Put the rest of the bottles in storage, and start opening them after a couple of years, and note how the flavors and the complexity of the wine have changed. A new bottle of wine may be good, but a properly aged bottle is even better.

About the Author:

Learn more about wine and wine producing regions around the world. Visit Wine Country Guide.

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Aging Wine


Wine is a complex substance. Open a bottle of it now, and it may taste fine. Open a bottle of the same wine several years from now, and the wine becom...


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News about California Wine

Two leading wine & spirits distributors to form giant 38-state joint venture (Austin Business Journal)

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 18:21:29 PDT
Southern Wine & Spirits of America Inc., which operates in 30 states, and Glazer's Distributors, which does business in 12 states, said Tuesday afternoon they've formed a national strategic joint venture to distribute wine and other alcoholic beverages in 38 states, including Texas, subject to regulatory approval.

Glazer's Distributors, Southern Wine & Spirits of America form nation's largest distributor (St. Louis Business Journal)

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 16:32:39 PDT
Glazer's Distributors, which distributes in Missouri and Illinois, and Southern Wine & Spirits of America Inc., which operates in Illinois, said Tuesday they formed a joint venture that will be the nation's largest wine and spirits distributor.

Two leading wine & spirits distributors to form giant 38-state joint venture (San Francisco Business Times)

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 16:07:23 PDT
Southern Wine & Spirits of America Inc., which operates in 30 states, and Glazer’s Distributors, which does business in 12 states, said Tuesday afternoon they’ve formed a national strategic joint venture to distribute wine and other alcoholic beverages in 38 states, subject to regulatory approval.

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VinLux Fine Wine Transport, a warehousing and delivery service in Napa, has received the first two production-model hybrid electric-diesel medium-duty trucks produced by Peterbilt Motors Company.


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Another Great Tasting Notes Article

Choosing The Right Pair Of Wine And Cheese

Wine and cheese parties from the seventies are returning. They are easy to set up. You don?t need a reason for the party. They can be brought together at any time, no matter the weather and there is nothing like the pairing of cheese with wine.

Most people can get overwhelmed. To begin with there are a wide range of choices in wines and cheese. Then there is figuring out what wine goes with what cheese.

The first thing to remember when you set about buying your supplies is never by cheap boxed wine. It may be easy to open but the flavors of cheese or any other food cannot be brought out with cheap wine.

Remember strong wines go with strong cheese and mild cheeses go with mild wine. Neither drink nor food must dominate. The flavor of each bite of cheese on your palette is replaced with a sip of the wine.

Wines that are acidic complement pungent cheese such as Chardonnay with Brie or a Savignon Blanc with goat cheese.A soft cheese like Camembert goes well with sweet wines like Vouvray or Chenin Blanc.And hard cheeses like Parmegiano, Romana or Regiano are wonderfully matched to full bodied red wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Red Zinfandel and Red Bordeaux.Sweet wines like Vermouth , Port or Sherry may be combined with the a the well known, much loved cheddar cheese. If the cheddar is aged then its sharp taste compliments an equally tangy glass of Shiraz Cabernet.

Remember, that the best guide of what cheese and wine combinations to go for, you should rely on your tastes. If it seems to work together then serve them together. Don?t worry about the errors you make, they will only help improve your abilities in the long run.

About the Author:

Melinda Carnes is a staff writer at Everything Gourmet and is an occasional contributor to several other websites, including Coffee Enthusiast.

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Choosing The Right Pair Of Wine And Cheese


Wine and cheese parties from the seventies are returning. They are easy to set up. You don?t need a reason for the party. They can be brought together...


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