Wine and Spirits Articles

Food and Drink » Wine and Spirits | By Gregg Hall @ Sunday, 28th October 2007 @ 4:10 AM

Wherever wine comes up whether it be a conversion or taste test, most of us start wondering where it came from. If you had ever studied the name of wine, such as Burgundy or Champagne, you shall find a log of wine. Burgundy for instance, we all pretty much know it comes from France, same as Burgundy. There are several types out there all coming from France basically. In the old times, wine from France was made by peasants, who drank it themselves. Wine is pretty old in France, which typic... more...

Food and Drink » Wine and Spirits | By Gregg Hall @ Sunday, 28th October 2007 @ 4:06 AM

A wine cellar rack allows any wine lover to have a lot of wine in their home. Usually wine racks are wall mounted, even though they can be stacked as well. They differ in size, and can hold from 10-300 bottles of wine. Depending on you and how many bottles you actually need, you will want to choose carefully. The best thing about wine cellar racks is that they are customizable. You can fit them however you want to, or what looks best in your cellar. Wine cellar racks will allow you to mak... more...

Food and Drink » Wine and Spirits | By Gregg Hall @ Sunday, 28th October 2007 @ 3:54 AM

Even though there are many different wines to buy, one that is most unheard of by most is ice wine. Ice wine is a very rare form of wine, a wine that is made under very specific weather conditions. Ice wine is normally made in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, where the weather conditions give it the name. Even though it may seem crazy it is made in very small quantities. With the wine requiring little and lack of availability, the product is very rare in fact. Truth be told, ... more...

Food and Drink » Wine and Spirits | By Madison Greene @ Friday, 26th October 2007 @ 3:26 PM

Beer drinkers or Whiskey drinkers will slug their drink of choice down in any glass that will hold it no matter what the name or shape. Have you ever wondered why the wine glass is so important to wine drinkers? Beyond the reasons of being able to get oxygen swirled into the wine, or to heat the wine with the palm of your hand, it's because wine glasses have a certain look about them. They hold a certain amount of status, a certain amount of class, and they make any occasion a fanc... more...

Food and Drink » Wine and Spirits | By RAYMOND NWAMBUONWO @ Monday, 22nd October 2007 @ 7:59 PM

Among all the wines you can buy, one of the most unheard of is ice wine. It is a very rare form of wine, because it is produced under certain types of weather conditions. It is produced mainly in the Pacific Northwest region, where the weather conditions are right. It is usually produced in very small quantities. With the wine requiring only the finest of quality and a lack of availability, the product is extremely rare indeed. Becuase of the scarce ingredients, it is extremely expensi... more...

Food and Drink » Wine and Spirits | By RAYMOND NWAMBUONWO @ Monday, 22nd October 2007 @ 7:41 PM

Most people would agree chardonnay is an eminent white wine. Chardonnay grapes are usually green in color and the flavor, taste and of the wine called chardonnay will depend where the grapes were grown and what fermentation process was used. Chardonnay wine is one of the most popular in the world today. The grapes are thin skinned. Most wine makers agree that the grapes used for chardonnay is probably a cross fusion between the pinot and the croatian blanc grape. The two mother grapes are... more...

Food and Drink » Wine and Spirits | By Jimmy Cox @ Monday, 22nd October 2007 @ 9:11 AM

No dinner is complete without wine, which brings joy and drives away depression, and makes the old feel young and the young still more youthful. Taken in moderation, it is undoubtedly an excellent stimulant. In the far north of China where the climate is cold and kaoliang abundant, Kaoliang wine, which is somewhat stronger than Russian vodka or English gin, is commonly drunk. In Central China a milder drink known as Shaohsing wine - named after its producing centre in Chekiang - is very p... more...

Food and Drink » Wine and Spirits | By Jimmy Cox @ Monday, 22nd October 2007 @ 9:07 AM

The word julep is an old and honored one and can be traced as far back as A. D. 1400 - long before we ever heard of the Southern States of these United States, where the julep is popularly supposed to be indigenous. For centuries the julep has been described as "something to cool or assuage the heat of passion," and "a sweet drink prepared in different ways." We know nothing of the first definition but will confirm the second statement that it can be made in different ways... more...

Food and Drink » Wine and Spirits | By Jimmy Cox @ Monday, 22nd October 2007 @ 9:05 AM

The most popular alcoholic beverage in the world today is that high-powered mixture known as the cocktail. For a century and beyond this stimulating drink has served to elevate dejected spirits. Born, nurtured, and christened on this side of the Atlantic, it has overflowed its original boundaries, especially since the World War, and today even staid British taste, long wedded to historic brandy and soda, is beginning to find satisfaction - and something else - in the Yankee mixed drink.more...

Food and Drink » Wine and Spirits | By Jimmy Cox @ Monday, 22nd October 2007 @ 9:04 AM

Absinthe is a drink that has caused much controversy of the years for being a "wild" and "sinful" drink. These stereotypes fit in well with those that have followed New Orleans, which is where this potent drink first hit American soil. According to some authorities, absinthe as a drink originated in Algeria, and French soldiers serving in the Franco-Algerian war (1830-47) introduced the green spirits to Paris upon their return from the North African country where the drink... more...

Food and Drink » Wine and Spirits | By Jimmy Cox @ Monday, 22nd October 2007 @ 8:44 AM

Vegetable wine, fruit wine, flower wine - there are hundreds of recipes, all different yet all basically the same; and if you like to experiment there is a vast field in which to do so. If you consider the sherry recipes as examples of fruit and vegetable mixtures for the purpose of making delicious wines, you will see at once that experiment is worth while. During the last war, when sugar for wine-making was unobtainable, tinned syrup and 'sugar' obtained by boiling packet date... more...

Food and Drink » Wine and Spirits | By Jimmy Cox @ Monday, 22nd October 2007 @ 8:43 AM

I think it quite safe to say that more has been written about the cultivation of grapes than has - or ever will be - written about any other fruit. This is not surprising, considering that the grape is probably the oldest of known fruits. Evidence that grapes have been grown here for centuries is found in certain parts of the country where careful inspection of sloping land shows remains of terraced vineyards. Contrary to general belief grapes are quite easy to grow outdoors in this count... more...

Food and Drink » Wine and Spirits | By Jimmy Cox @ Monday, 22nd October 2007 @ 8:39 AM

If you want to make wine there is no excuse for not doing so: you need neither license nor cellar and the utensils may already be in your house, flat or caravan -for wine may be made in the smallest of places. To make a couple of gallons of wine is no more bother than to bake a tray of cakes or pickle a few jars of onions, and in comparison the rewards of your labors are far more pleasurable. A word of warning: The fact that home-made wines do not exceed fourteen per cent (by volume) of a... more...

Food and Drink » Wine and Spirits | By RAYMOND NWAMBUONWO @ Friday, 19th October 2007 @ 10:22 PM

By tradition, Champagne has always been a way to celebrate achievements or toast the bride and groom on their marriage. Champagne is considered to be a mellow beverage. Champagne can be served with a meal or with dessert. For many years, this exotic drink has been used as a way of celebration or to enjoy the good times that lie ahead. You probably want to know if champagne is a wine or a category all on its own. Champagne is a form of wine, and it is made with wine grapes... more...

Food and Drink » Wine and Spirits | By RAYMOND NWAMBUONWO @ Friday, 19th October 2007 @ 6:45 PM

Most people have tried various red wines and white wines and they still have no idea what differentiates both. If you have no clue, then this article will give you the factors to look for; apart from the color which is obvious. Red and white wines can either be dry or sweet or anywhere in between. The red wine is more robust, more complex than white wines. White wines are generally lighter without the complexity of reds. Though the grapes used do matter, but the main difference is in the... more...

Food and Drink » Wine and Spirits | By Derek Both @ Tuesday, 16th October 2007 @ 7:23 AM

Over the last twenty years, Australia has become the world's fourth largest wine producer with exports to over a hundred countries and is known for its uniqueness and quality. The largest importer of Australian wines until this year was the United Kingdom followed by the United States. In 2007, the United States overtook the United Kingdom as the primary importer of Australian wines. Australian wine exports mainly comprise the products of large commercial vineyards which competed with other... more...

Food and Drink » Wine and Spirits | By john mce @ Monday, 15th October 2007 @ 12:36 AM

No matter what you tipple is; white, red, pink or sparkling, storing your wine correctly is essential. Simply putting your favourite bottle above the fridge and forgetting about it for a year could drastically alter the taste, then, when you come to enjoy it at that special occasion, it might not be as favourable as you hoped. Despite wines being a perishable commodity, properly caring for and storing your wine can actually improve its' aroma, flavour, texture and complexity over t... more...

Food and Drink » Wine and Spirits | By Ross Lambert @ Friday, 12th October 2007 @ 12:10 PM

A few years ago my wife and I took a Napa Valley "wine tour". It was terrific: We got to see a beautiful part of the USA up close and personal and meet some very nice people. We tend to prefer smaller, family-owned "boutique"-style wineries, anyway, and the proprietors of such businesses are an interesting group. Winemakers are fun--often "entrepreneurial" but still wildly unconventional. And of course, we got to sample some outstanding wines. Imagine our s... more...

Food and Drink » Wine and Spirits | By David Cowley @ Friday, 12th October 2007 @ 2:24 AM

Port wines derives it name from the the city of Porto located in the Douro Valley in northern Portugal. Port wines are usually made from combination of up to five different grape varieties, Touriga Nacional, Tinto Cao, Tina Barroca, Tinta Rozi, and Touriga Fanacesas. It tends have a much richer, sweeter and heavier flavor than other wines. It is usually served as an before or after dinner drink because if its rich fruity flavor but is also goes well with sweet desserts, cheese, nuts, dr... more...

Food and Drink » Wine and Spirits | By David Cowley @ Friday, 12th October 2007 @ 2:16 AM

There is a very large variety of different types of wine and in order to really enjoy your wine selection it is necessary to know more than what type of wine goes with red meat and what type of wine goes with fish. It is important to select the correct type of wine that will augment the flavor of the meal instead of clashing with it. The properly selected wine will clean and refresh the pallet which will allow the flavor of the meal to be as enjoyable from the first bite to the last. The corr... more...