by Sam Brown
So the date is set, the big day is getting nearer and the guests are eagerly anticipating the celebrations. For the hosts the planning of the perfect wedding breakfast is paramount so here is a selection of the best wine ideas to get you through the day and suit every taste, budget and reveller! Champagne, Cava or Prosecco – depending on budget or preference any one of these is perfect to kick off the proceedings and to toast the happy couple during the speeches. Prosecco has fast become the fashionable fizz of choice for many and there is a mind blowing range to choose from including a Rose variety. Champagne of course is the glorious and traditional one to choose if you are looking for a touch of opulence and glamour for your nuptials and of course you have the budget for it, but most...
by Rob Jones
Wine tasting at home with family and friends is a good way of getting to know what wines are popular. This helps if you are planning to host a dinner party. You will know which wines to choose that will go down well with your guests. Here are some tips and wine selections to help you get your wine tasting off to a great start. Number of Bottles It’s best to stick to four or five bottles of different wines. Any more and you might overload your palette and your taste buds won’t be as sensitive. There are eleven different wine regions in France. It’s best to pick your four or five bottles from the same region. Glasses Pick clear glasses with stems. The glass should be held by the stem. Bowl glasses are best so that you can put your nose into it to smell the aroma. Tasting Pour a lit...
by Joann Degaglia
Franciacorta is clearly Italy's answer to Champagne. A high-quality sparkling wine made in the Méthode Champenoise from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (with limited amounts of Pinot Blanc), it rivals and in some cases surpasses some of Champagnes best with its complexity and finesse. Franciacorta is a relatively small wine region that encompasses about 48,000 acres with the actual vineyard areas about 4600 . Geologically the zone was once a huge glacier which descended upon the Val Camonica, depositing a large quantity of minerals atop morainic and bobani soils (red mixture of clay and silt). Climactically, it is much milder in the winter than most sub-alpine zones. Franciacorta's sparkling wines were promoted to DOCG status (the highest level of Italian wine classification) in 1995. This was ...
by Morgan Franklin
Flights to Europe at the moment are really good value. That means, if you can be relatively flexible about when you travel, you can get a return flight to almost anywhere in Europe for an amazing price. This is great news if you want to embark on a wine tour in Europe, tasting the best the continent has to offer. But what about accommodation? Any savings you make on the flight can quickly be lost when it comes to finding an affordable place to stay. So, we thought we’d do a little research to try and find some Europe’s best value Airbnb accommodation. This is what we found... Cheaper than you might think The research looked at the average price of an Airbnb rental during the month of February 2017 for 1, 2 and 6 guests. The researchers chose the month of February to get a more acc...
by Bernard Kenner
There is something about Prosecco that has bothered me for years. It has nothing to do with the product itself, but rather to better inform the consumer about what they can expect from bottles they purchase. I believe there is a simple remedy, but first some background information for context. Prosecco has become the sparkler of choice for many, as evidenced by the widely promoted statistics mentioned in a flood of recent press releases and articles. This is due to good marketing and promotion of a very friendly, moderately priced, value wine, with festive bubbles as a bonus. As reported in a Wall Street Journal article, citing numbers also echoed during dinner at Eataly NY a few years ago by Stefano Zanette, President of the Prosecco consortium: Though Champagne sales have been cli...
by Bernard Kenner
If someone told me a few years ago that I could go to British Columbia, and have a Pinotage of better quality then I have ever had from South Africa (even if you are not a fan of the grape), or a wonderful Verdejo/ Albarino blend, much less a stunning Pinot noir, I would have said you were crazy. Yet, the Okanagan Valley region, either an hour's flight or four and a half hour scenic drive, east of the city of Vancouver, delivers that and much more. Sampling these wines far away from their home is not easy because production is small by international standards. They must be consumed close to home, as many wineries produce only between 2000 to 5000 cases per year, much of it hand sold at the wineries to locals and tourists; the rest mostly within the province, with some going elsewhere in...
by Cassandra Rosen
Snowbirds Vintners announced the addition of a new Rhône-style rosé to their sustainable, American wine portfolio. To date, award-winning Chef Jamie McFadden and veteran winemaker Norm Saley have also produced two sustainably made vintages for Snowbirds - a 2015 Grüner Veltliner, from the Lake Chelan AVA, in Washington, and a 2013 Merlot from the Monterey County AVA, in California. Inspired by Chef McFadden’s childhood winter vacations to warmer climates, Snowbirds Vintners was created to make food and wine pairings easier and more approachable. The label and look for the brand are whimsical, with a nod to the joy of exploring new tastes and experiences. Snowbirds Vintners wines are available at select retailers, with an SRP of $18 per 750 ml bottle. Snowbirds motto is, "Vacation ...
by Tom Dinardo - The Wine Zealot, Sommelier, And Ceo Winery & Wine Appraisals
This article offers all spirits and wine drinkers some terrific advice for protecting their wines and wine collection. Virtually all insurance companies will require a wine appraisal prior to issuing a wine insurance policy for your valuable wine collection. God forbid you should wait until your wine collection has possibly been compromised, or worse destroyed, by heat, freeze, flood, fire, tornado, earthquake, home repair, and or other wine damage. When searching for a qualified wine appraiser or wine appraisal expert for your wine collection you will want to ask the following questions from your potential wine appraiser. (1) Are you a designated appraiser? A. What organization awarded your appraisal designation? B. How long was the appraisal methodology training program (...
by Rachel Croft
Château de Pommard’s New Wine Experiences Explore The Mystery of UNESCO’s World Heritage Climats POMMARD, FRANCE (April 19, 2017) – Since 1726, the families of Château de Pommard have led the estate through some of Burgundy’s most inspiring evolutions. Famille Carabello-Baum, the fifth family to steward the domain in three centuries, are now doing the unthinkable – making it possible for wine lovers everywhere to decipher the mosaic of terroir that is the Côte d’Or. “As if 100 AOCs in Burgundy wasn’t confusing enough, now we have 1,257 different UNESCO World Heritage Climats of Burgundy! As a Grand Sponsor of the UNESCO Climats Project; it is our responsibility to untangle, for wine lovers everywhere, the web that makes Burgundy the most envied wine region in the world...
by Naushad Huda - I Like This Grape
You read that correctly: Michael Jordan! But not the hall-of-fame, NBA legend who was arguably one of the best to ever pick up a ball. This Michael Jordan is a legend in wine and arguably one the best sommeliers to ever pick up a glass. Jordan is a certified wine educator with the Society of Wine Educators and a Master Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers — one of only 15 people in the world to hold both diplomas! Thus, when he recommends wines, we take notes! Question: Michael, if you were to advise young wine drinkers – who are open to trying new wines – what 3 would you recommend? Answer: For those newer to wine that are eager to try and discover new things I am going to stay with soft, easy drinking AND DELICIOUS, rather than super complex, tannic or dry. Let’s s...
