by Gabrio Tosti
Recent developments of globalization have made possible the unthinkable. The EU has authorized the use of wood chips and water as part of the vinification process. Not long ago the US signed a treaty with the EU that allows wood-chip wines, considered fraud in Europe a week ago, to be sold in Europe. In exchange it will be easier to import European wines to the US (what a fair trade). Now every Country of the Union, starting with France, is updating their laws so that the European wine producers can be competitive in the market. I’ve been reading funny stories in specialized magazines about how these practices are necessary to bring “quality’ to the everyday consumer, about how the wood-chips are meant to give the characteristics of a barriqued wine without paying the high cost o...
by Kelly Magyarics
Chefs pair them on expensive tasting menus. Wine educators use them in wine tastings and classes to demonstrate food and wine pairing. Wineries serve them as part of multi-course wine dinners. But do red wine and chocolate really work together, or are they just a kitschy forced pairing? In my tasting experience, I've found that chocolate CAN pair with red wine, but with the following guidelines. Give them a try, see if you agree with them, and then try your own pairings: * Pair milk chocolate with a New World, jammy merlot. The chocolate really works with the blackberry flavors in the wine. * The higher the fat content in the chocolate, the more tannic wine it will pair with--the fat in the chocolate will soften the wine's tannins. (This also explains why we enjoy steak with tannic wine...
by Kelly Magyarics
1. Decanting a young wine allows it to "open up" and mellow out some of the harsher tannins, making them softer and the wine easier to drink. 2. Decanting an old wine allows the sediment--which has dropped out of the wine over time and ended up at the bottom of the bottle--to remain in the decanter when the wine is served (instead of on your teeth...). **Note: When serving an old wine, be sure to drink it soon after the bottle is opened and decanted. Oxidation can wreak havoc with old bottles in a very short amount of time. The wine can taste totally different at the end of the meal than it did at the beginning....
by Kelly Magyarics
Planning an upcoming wedding? Looking for other gift options than china or pots and pans? Well, if you and your fiancé like to drink wine, why not create a wine registry for your wedding guests? Wine is a very personal gift, one that (literally) reflects your taste. And, when you sit down to drink a bottle of a wedding gift of wine, you can both toast to happy thoughts of the special guest who gave it to you. How do you go about creating a wine registry? Start by calling your local wine shops to see if they offer this option. There are also a lot of websites that offer wine registries, such as Morrell’s, Vino Italian Wine and Spirits, and Blanchard’s Wine and Spirits. You can create an account, browse and add wines, and then let your guests know about your wine wish list. What shoul...
by Kelly Magyarics
Selecting and enjoying wine in a restaurant can sometimes feel like a daunting task. But it doesn't have to be. Here are ten tips for enjoying wine when dining out: 1. Don’t be afraid to ask the sommelier or server for advice. Let him know what kind of wine you and your dining companions prefer (ex. “We like light reds that don’t dry out our mouths”; or “We don’t like white wines that are too oaky.”) 2. Look beyond the bottle. Many restaurants now offer other options for wine lovers. Wines served by the glass, as well as in half-bottles, and wine flights (2-3 ounce pours of several wines, served at the same time), are great when you are dining out and everyone wants to eat and drink something different. 3. Visit the Southern Hemisphere for white wines. New Zealand an...
by Ron Kapon
The full name of the region is Friuli Venezia Giulia. It has less than 1 1/4 million inhabitants and sits in the north east corner of Italy with Austria to the North, Slovenia to the East, and the Adriatic Sea to the South. Almost half of Friuli (using the shortened version is a lot less confusing to Americans since many assume Venezia or Venice is part of the region and it is not) is occupied by mountains including part of the Alps. The largest cities are Udine with almost 100,000 population and the regional capitol Trieste with about 250,000 people. It ranks 17th among the 20 regions in size. In 181 BC the Romans founded Aquileia whose ruins have been meticulously restored and are the most important archaeological sites in northern Italy. Then there were “visits” from Attila the H...
by Becky Sue Epstein
How to Choose Wine in a Restaurant “If you simply want a good meal, you don’t need to try to impress anyone in the restaurant with your wine order.” By the Glass – yes and no At a casual lunch or dinner, an upscale restaurant will often feature a few more interesting wines by the glass or by the flight. A flight is several small glasses of different wines, served at the same time or sequentially, and usually paired with specific dishes. This is your chance to sample without committing to a pricy full bottle. As these glass and flight specials tend to be small in number and to change monthly, the servers at the restaurant are often reliably coached on which wine to recommend with the dishes on their menu. However, at very casual eating establishments, monthly wine speci...
by Denman Moody
I once read a wine article in which the writer quoted a wine shop salesperson as saying that instead of reading wine guides or wine reviews, you should just trust your own palate. Well, that’s an interesting idea, except that it could take 10 wine purchases before “your own palate” finds one that is a great value. There’s no question that different writers appeal to different consumers. I’ve had recommendations from wine shop salespersons and wine writers that were perfect, and just the opposite. When you do find someone in the know with whom you agree most of the time, better stick with him/her! Also, the writer of the above-mentioned article outlined the exact temperature and humidity percentage for storing wine under ideal conditions. I have no problem wit...
by Denman Moody
In a “Wine Spectator” column some years ago, Jancis Robinson, M.W., compared regular-sized bottles of a wine to the same wine in imperials (eight-bottle size), and found, that in most instances the bottles were better. The first lavish big-bottle event I attended was some 25 years ago in San Francisco. At one unforgettable dinner, we enjoyed Chateau Leoville Barton 1929 (imperial), Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou 1929 (imperial), Chateau La Lagune 1929 (jeroboam) and Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou 1928 (jeroboam). In the mid-‘70s to early ‘80s, wine auctions were few and far between, and almost unknown except to devoted enophiles. We regularly purchased and drank Bordeaux wines from ’45, ’47, ‘49’ ’59 and ’61. Occasionally, wines would be on the block from the great ...
by Gabrio Tosti
It takes time to experiment! A lot of people have been talking about alternative closures for a bottle of wine. The reason, of course, is that the traditional closure the cork isn't perfect. Cork, like wine itself, is an agricultural product, and like wine, cork can have flaws. When cork fails, the results can be disastrous and costly. Elio Altare, for example, had to pour away the entire production of his 1997 Barolos because of failed corkage. That cost Mr. Altare and the cork producer hundreds of thousands of dollars, and trust me, the loss of a year's worth of loving effort cost more than a few tears too. For a while we heard a lot about plastic corks. In a strange echo across the decades, we were told "there is a great future in plastics." And like the hesitant Ben in 1967 classic...
