by Robert W. Bentley Cws Cwe
How to Select and Buy Wine?Whether in a store or a restaurant, whether buying for an immediate use (with tonight’s dinner), a gift, or a future event-or even as an investment for the future, we all want to know if what we are purchasing meets the tests of quality and value. Who and what can we trust to guide us?Hopefully, much more than a pretty or entertaining label. Where can we rely that the wine can be bought with some assurance of dependability-it’s not been stored or shipped improperly, thus becoming spoiled? How can we make own judgment when there’s no “expert” around to advise us? Are there any standards we can learn? What can a label on the bottle tell us? Is a bottle with a screw cap an indicator of cheap wine (like the terrible old “jug” wines we uses to so ...
by Ron Kapon
Albany is the capital of New York State and is about 140 miles north of the city. The City of Albany sits on the Hudson River and has a population of a bit fewer than 100,000 (Albany County has 300,000). There are about1.2 million people in the metro area that includes the cities of Troy, Schenectady, Rensselaer and Saratoga Springs. Albany was founded as a Dutch trading post in 1614. In 1664 the English renamed the town Albany, in honor of James II, Duke of Albany. In 1754 representatives of seven British North American colonies met in the Albany Congress. Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania presented the Albany Plan, the first formal proposal to unite the colonies. Although it was never adopted by Parliament, it was an important precursor to the United States Constitution. In 1797, the st...
by Ron Kapon
Is it my imagination or are there wine and food festivals every weekend? There are wine auctions that raise money for local charities: Napa, (attended) Naples, Sonoma, (attended), and High Museum of Atlanta, etc. Then there are the biggies that make money for their organizers: South Beach (attended), Aspen, Boston (attended), New York (attended), Wine Spectator (attended), New Orleans (attended), and Epcot, etc. There are many local events, most of which are efforts to fill hotels during the slow season or raise money for a local charity: Albany (attended), Wentworth by the Sea, Atlantic City, Taste of Pennsylvania, etc. Just Google wine & food festivals to see what I mean. They are big business. Some show off local chefs and wineries, and some the super-star TV chefs who spend their time ...
by John Hagarty
The grapes are now wine and the search begins for gold medalsMost Virginia winemakers live by the adage, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” During the winter and early spring months, vintners across the Old Dominion are auditioning their individual wines to see which ones will star---and which ones will play supporting roles---in the production of their ultimate cuvees. It’s a great time to hang around a winery. The test samples never stop emerging from the cellar.Recently, a group of a dozen wine and food professionals gathered at Jefferson Vineyards in Charlottesville to join winemaker Andy Reagan in the elusive hunt for the perfect wine. The event, billed as a Master Class in Wine Blending, is held annually for both consumers and trade folks and provides a unique...
by Richard Frisbie
Last fall, I attended the Hudson Valley Wine and Food Fest in the oldest wine making region of the country - New York's Hudson Valley. The festival, now in it's seventh year, draws wineries from throughout the Northeast. I went to taste the wines of more than twenty Finger Lakes vintners collected together under one roof, and to learn about Ice Wine. With all those wonderful wines available, I was only tasting the ice wines. One vintner told me, "Don't start with this sweet wine, start with the dry wines and work up. This will only blow your palate." Well, my palate was blown with the first sip! And what an expensive sip it was. True 'ice wine' is made of grapes frozen on the vine. Those have Ice Wine on the bottle. Some growers harvest the grapes before the weather and the wildlife ...
by Elizabeth Floderus Prp Wine Consultant
Someone I know, who has not consumed red wine in years because it gave her headaches, has joyfully started drinking red wine once again. The cure, she said, was organic wine. But when she explained to me that the wine contained no sulfites, and, thus, was the reason for her pain-free sipping, I had to politely correct her just a little. Organic wines technically still contain some sulfites, however, at much lower levels than non-organic wines. In organic wine, there are no additional sulfites beyond what occurs naturally during normal fermentation of grapes. However, in the vast majority of wines, more sulfites are added because they are necessary to preserve the flavor and integrity of the wine throughout its shelf life. But there was still another correction that I had to make after I re...
by Marisa Folse
They say a wine is only as good as the grape it comes from, but of course the land, air, water and the winemaker have a little something to do with it. But, let's give the wine grape its' due. With over 600 different kinds of grapes each with its own combination of characteristics such as color, size, skin thickness and acidity, only a select few are distinguished enough to produce fine quality wine. Of course, the art of the winemaker is to bring out the character of the grape, the soil, and the climate, but what these few and proud wine grapes bring to the table are noble enough to stand alone.Cabernet Sauvignon: Calling warmer climates home, this small but very thick-skinned and hearty grape variety delivers big time. Its' versatility helps to create such complex varietals that can...
by Marisa Folse
I often get asked to suggest a good wine to people or to share my favorite. It actually isn’t that simple, because “my favorite” changes depending on what food it is being paired with or what occasion is being celebrated. I’ve had $100 bottles of wine and I’ve had $10 bottles of wine and each were favorites for that particular scenario. I have many wines that I come to again and again and can certainly make suggestions, but to be honest, “a good wine” is the one that you enjoy. It really just comes down to your personal preference. You may have to taste many different wine varietals from many different regions on your journey to finding your favorite one, but that is half the fun.Tasting is defined as the sensory examination and evaluation of wine, and in the professional are...
by Marisa Folse
Almost every past-time has a premier competition. That list includes the Super Bowl, the World Series, the Stanley Cup, and for wine lovers, especially here in Houston is the International Wine Competition, which has been a vital part of the festivities surrounding the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo for the past six years.Wineries from Texas, the United States and across the globe, showcase their best of the best in hopes of receiving the highly esteemed title of Grand Champion Best of Show and Reserve Grand Champion Best of Show as well as other valued awards and medals for top entries in the Texas wine, the red wine, the white wine, and other all-around wine categories.On November 12 and 15, 2009 15 panels of judges, consisting of local, national, and international wine experts., taste...
by Marisa Folse
Wine producers have been looking for glass bottle alternatives for years, but most often than not the wine-in-a-box concept falls short and eco-friendliness gets set aside, when a wine lovers' palate is at stake.But one company cleverly titled Yellow+Blue (get it .. equals green) is offering an option to consumers where quality of wine does not have to be compromised in lieu of a healthier planet.For about $12, wine lovers can go green and still enjoy their red, with an unoaked Argentinean Malbec that is not only certified organic, but is delivered in environment friendly packaging. Now, that is affordable and responsible, and with the complexity of this Malbec boasting ripe plum and blueberry flavors, it is surprisingly delicious!Now just enjoy and recycle!...
