Getting the most out of life is something all people want. This is especially after spending hard-earned money on some of the finer things in life, like a vacation to a faraway destination, or a sample of some of the most exotic cheese in the world. It is no secret that wine is a drink you can enjoy both on its own or paired up with any food to enhance the overall dining experience. The problem most people have is knowing when to choose the right wines when it comes to certain foods. Sure there are the standard rules like white wines for white meats like chicken or fish and red wines for beef and other red meats, but when it comes to specifics, just how clueless can many of us get?
Enter a wine of the month club. It should never be enough that a wine drinker will stick to such crude methods of estimation when it comes to wine pairing. The truest appreciation of wines, whether it be Italian wines, French wines, American or any other, lies in knowing and studying the subtle differences in taste and weights. Think of wines of the month clubs as a sort of wine school at home.
With monthly or quarterly deliveries of bottles of wine to your doorstep, wines of the month clubs aim to expand your knowledge not only of the wine and its various differences in taste, it will also give you valuable and perhaps even first-hand information about the vintage, the wine maker, and the region in which that particular wine is made. While it is true that certain parts of this information can be acquired through various means, there really is no substitute for having that fine Italian Vino in your glass and actually drinking the wonderful nectar for yourself.
Actual wine schooling and getting a degree as a sommelier is a very expensive process only undergone by those who are serious about making wine a career. But if your intention is knowing enough to know the subtle differences in wines and try out exotic blends for yourself at the comfort of your own home, then joining a wine of the month club is more suited for you. It is as much an education about wine as it is sommelier school minus the professional aspect of it all and at almost a fraction of the cost. It is suited mainly for causal wine drinkers interested in gaining information about the art.
Knowing what goes with a good bottle of Vino is just as important as knowing a good Vino in itself. Most wines of the month clubs offer handy suggestions as to what foods will pair best with their selections, allowing you more insight into the delicate art of food and wine pairing. This kind of knowledge is important especially if you are interested in starting your own wine tastings at home or taking a trip into various wine schools and wineries across the country.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Information That All Wine Enthusiasts Should Understand
Do you have some questions about an instant wine chiller? Then we've got answers. Here is a list of FAQ, that will be able to answer most of your questions. After you have read this FAQ, you will hold a greater understanding on what these kinds of wine bottle chillers do, as well as why you ought to have one if you like any amount of wine.
What does it do?
These types of wine chillers will quickly cool room temperature wine to the optimum temperature that it is ideal to drink at.
This will yield a better taste, and remove the kick out of it too.
This is good for both white and red wines, and the better models will feature a setting on them for the various kinds of wines.
Why do I need one?
Most people store their wine at room temperatures, because they were told that it is better served that way. That is correct in some instances, however, a lot of the times it is good to serve it a little chilled. Rapid wine bottle chillers will chill the wine in about 5 - 7 minutes on average.
Can't I just put the bottle in the freezer really quick?
That is the last thing you want to do. Wine shouldn't be subjected to freezing conditions, this will ruin the flavor, cause the bottle to break when you go to open it, as well as split the cork.
After something has been placed in the freezer, you need to let it warm a bit first, which negates the whole chilling procedure in the first place.
Now that you have read this write up about rapid wine bottle chillers, you have a much better understanding of what they are, what they do, and why you should own one. One very essential to keep in mind is your freezer is not suitable for chilling your wine.
What does it do?
These types of wine chillers will quickly cool room temperature wine to the optimum temperature that it is ideal to drink at.
This will yield a better taste, and remove the kick out of it too.
This is good for both white and red wines, and the better models will feature a setting on them for the various kinds of wines.
Why do I need one?
Most people store their wine at room temperatures, because they were told that it is better served that way. That is correct in some instances, however, a lot of the times it is good to serve it a little chilled. Rapid wine bottle chillers will chill the wine in about 5 - 7 minutes on average.
Can't I just put the bottle in the freezer really quick?
That is the last thing you want to do. Wine shouldn't be subjected to freezing conditions, this will ruin the flavor, cause the bottle to break when you go to open it, as well as split the cork.
After something has been placed in the freezer, you need to let it warm a bit first, which negates the whole chilling procedure in the first place.
Now that you have read this write up about rapid wine bottle chillers, you have a much better understanding of what they are, what they do, and why you should own one. One very essential to keep in mind is your freezer is not suitable for chilling your wine.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
How To Make Wine
Being a wine maker, I am occasionally asked how to make wine. I usually give people the story about how I came about this hobby. When my older brother and I were going to the same university, he would make his own mead in his basement. Mead is an alcoholic drink made from honey. My brother had a simple kit that he bought somewhere and it worked great. Six weeks after beginning the process, he had 24 bottles of homemade mead that tasted great. This was one of my first introduction to making homemade alcoholic beverages.
Unfortunately, my brother is now at Western Michigan getting his PHD, so I no longer have access to his mead. I decided to take the hobby up myself and make my own great tasting wine.
I decided for myself that I would focus on making red wine instead of mead. Now, I will say that I have since made mead, but I started out with making red wine because I thought it would be a lot more challenging and fun. What I realized was that it is a lot of fun, but there isn't nearly as much work as I had imagined.
For those of you interested in taking up this hobby, I want you to understand that it doesn't have to be a major project that you have to watch constantly. Set aside 10 minutes of your day and you'll have great wine in a few weeks. I recommend all wine lovers to try making wine at least once in their lives. It is truly a fulfilling hobby.
The first thing I do before starting a new hobby or project is research. I hit the web and try to learn as much as I can while taking notes. During my research, I came across and bought multiple wine guides that had great ratings from people that had purchased them. They can cost anywhere from $10-$50 each and some were way better than others.
One of the online books that I bought worked out great for a complete novice like myself. It's a 100 page manual that teaches everything from building your own wine kit to selecting the right types of fruit to the bottling process. The author is an avid wine maker who releases new videos every month for free to people that have bought his guide. It's great! If you know absolutely nothing about making your own wine, then this is the guide I recommend you to look into.
The most important process in wine making is definitely the fruit selection. I had no idea how important it was until I read about it in the guide. The fruit you choose needs to be perfect. No bruises, scratches, or anything. This guide shows you how to go about finding local vineyards so that you can get the best, most freshest grapes possible. This is by far the easiest to follow guide for wine making that I have ever come across. Since it is an ebook, you can download it, print it, highlight parts that you want to remember, print pictures of the fruit you want, etc.
It is also important that you learn which materials to buy to get you started on your own kit. I think I paid around $50 to have a complete setup. You can also buy kits at a few stores out there if you do not want to build your own. I started with 5 gallons and I recommend you do the same. Don't start with 1 gallon because you will be out of that 1 gallon of wine before you know it.
Unfortunately, my brother is now at Western Michigan getting his PHD, so I no longer have access to his mead. I decided to take the hobby up myself and make my own great tasting wine.
I decided for myself that I would focus on making red wine instead of mead. Now, I will say that I have since made mead, but I started out with making red wine because I thought it would be a lot more challenging and fun. What I realized was that it is a lot of fun, but there isn't nearly as much work as I had imagined.
For those of you interested in taking up this hobby, I want you to understand that it doesn't have to be a major project that you have to watch constantly. Set aside 10 minutes of your day and you'll have great wine in a few weeks. I recommend all wine lovers to try making wine at least once in their lives. It is truly a fulfilling hobby.
The first thing I do before starting a new hobby or project is research. I hit the web and try to learn as much as I can while taking notes. During my research, I came across and bought multiple wine guides that had great ratings from people that had purchased them. They can cost anywhere from $10-$50 each and some were way better than others.
One of the online books that I bought worked out great for a complete novice like myself. It's a 100 page manual that teaches everything from building your own wine kit to selecting the right types of fruit to the bottling process. The author is an avid wine maker who releases new videos every month for free to people that have bought his guide. It's great! If you know absolutely nothing about making your own wine, then this is the guide I recommend you to look into.
The most important process in wine making is definitely the fruit selection. I had no idea how important it was until I read about it in the guide. The fruit you choose needs to be perfect. No bruises, scratches, or anything. This guide shows you how to go about finding local vineyards so that you can get the best, most freshest grapes possible. This is by far the easiest to follow guide for wine making that I have ever come across. Since it is an ebook, you can download it, print it, highlight parts that you want to remember, print pictures of the fruit you want, etc.
It is also important that you learn which materials to buy to get you started on your own kit. I think I paid around $50 to have a complete setup. You can also buy kits at a few stores out there if you do not want to build your own. I started with 5 gallons and I recommend you do the same. Don't start with 1 gallon because you will be out of that 1 gallon of wine before you know it.
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