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...
by Kent Benson
The question beginning wine enthusiasts ask me most frequently is, “How can I start learning more about wine?” A visit to a local wine shop or a glance at a restaurant wine list can be a confusing and intimidating experience, but it doesn’t have to be that way. What should you do to build your confidence and increase your enjoyment of wine? Keep It Simple First, let’s talk about what you should not do. Don’t get in over your head. I made that mistake many years ago and paid the price by spending many subsequent years without the enjoyment of wine. In my naïve desire to learn about wine I unwittingly chose to read a book that was not intended for beginners. I was like a curious, young science student, attempting to understand the physical world by reading a doctoral dissertat...
by Ron Kapon
At the southern tip of Africa, where two mighty oceans meet in the shadow of landmark Table Mountain, lies the finest Cape in the world. Known locally as the Mother City, Cape Town is the gateway to the South Africa wine lands and one of the great wine capitols of the world. Here the cultures of Africa, Europe and the East have met and mingled for over 350 year’s, shaping a city both ancient, rich in colorful history and culturally diverse. Archbishop Tutu described the new South African nation as “the rainbow people of God”, and the “rainbow nation” was born. The Cape wine-growing areas, situated in the narrow viticulture zone of the southern hemisphere, have a mainly Mediterranean climate with the mountain slopes and valleys ideal for wine grapes. Long, sun-drenched summers...
