How to take advantage of Wine Festivals

It’s easy to get impatient as you begin the journey to wine knowledge and enjoyment. Progress is slow — a glass here, a bottle there. But sometimes-wine enthusiasts get a chance to progress by leaps and bounds instead of the baby steps of a taste here and a taste there. Local, Regional or National Wine festivals provide the opportunity to expand your horizons. Responsibly navigating your way through those hundreds of wine choices, however, takes patience and strategy. WHAT TO EXPECT As with any large, public event, wine festivals will give you a great opportunity to socialize and compare...

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Wine Myths Examined

I am always looking for interesting ideas and this past week my inspiration light bulb came while watching the Discovery channel show MythBusters with my children. It had me thinking of the many questions surrounding the mounds of contradictory advice in the wine world. As with many myths some are handed down from experts, some tradition and sadly, most woven in by pseudo experts. So Mythbuster style, here are some wine myths and my take on if they are confirmed, plausible or busted. Wines should be served in distinct glassware. Wine professionals will often taste hundreds of wines side by...

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Beat the summer heat

As summer heat bears down on us, it seems the appropriate time to answer a few questions that wine lovers have been asking. Can you drop a few ice cubes into your white wine to give it a quick cool down? It seems the perfect answer to quickly cooling down a glass of wine, but actually it can alter the taste and balance. Wine, unlike many beverages, is produced with a perfect balance of water, sugar, acid, tannin and alcohol. The vineyard manager and winemaker devote time to grow and produce grapes to achieve this perfect balance. Dropping in a few ice cubes leaves it watery with the taste of...

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Take advantage of wine bars

Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of a wine bar experience. Take advantage of exploration: A wine bar will give you an opportunity to explore every hot spot in the world of wine. Don’t be afraid to try something new. Ordering by the glass, you can compare the ordinary, the safe and even the bizarre. When dining out, most of us do not order the same old chicken or steak on a restaurant menu. It’s the same with wine; step outside of Chardonnay and Merlot. Be aware of storage conditions: If you see hundreds of bottles lining the serving area with out even a cork in them, you...

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Chocolate and wine are so divine

When it comes to pairing wines and chocolates, remember that lighter, more elegant chocolates generally should be tasted with lighter-bodied wines. If the wine is more full-bodied, the chocolate should be stronger, darker and more robust. For example, a delicate Moscato d’Asti could compete perfectly with the mellow butter flavors in many white chocolates. The wine should be at least as sweet, or possibly sweeter, than the chocolate served with it. Many times when the wine and chocolate are not compatible, a slight sour note develops on the palate. Framboise, with its raspberry flavor,...

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