Uncorking Vendange Sweet Moscato

This week I am uncorking Vendange Sweet Moscato

Winemaker's Notes: N/A

My Notes: fruity aroma like spiced pears peach
back of pallet sweet light balanced tastes like peaches, pears, and stone fruit. lingering but silky smooth finish.

The more wine I drink the more I am begining to only like white's, especially Moscato and Gewurztraminer. This wine, although in a box, was really good and just crisp.
I know that there is a stigmatism around 'boxed' wines, but in my humble amateur opinion, I like them.
When I was reading the vintner's website, they said that this wine would be best paired with baked ham, coconut cream pie, and crab cakes. So I would take that to mean pork, nuts, and sea food?

Over all I must say that for a budget boxed, it was really surprisingly good. A definite one to keep on my list of must haves, even if its just for my personal consumption. 

~Cheers

Amazing Wine Facts Part 3

In last weeks article Amazing Wine Fact's Part 2, we learned about how color can tell you where the wine is from, why women get drunk faster than men, and how labels can tell you volumes about a wine.
In this weeks post, we will learn about when wine was discovered, people who have a wine phobia, and why wine doesn't make you fat.

Lets conclude our amazing journey, shall we?


8. Wine is 6,000 years old?


It is believed that wine dates back clear to the Neolithic Period (8500-4000 B.C.E). This discovery was found in Iran, which according to textbooks and scholars, was part of the Cradle of Life. Then a discovery found cultivated vines around 7000-5000 B.C.E. It is also thought that the drink had accidently fermented, when native yeast came into contact with stored grapes.

Winemaking then became more refined in Egypt and spread across the Mediterranean by Greeks. The Europeans and Spanish brought their brews to the new world.


9. Don't be scared its only wine

Yes Oenophobia is a real thing friends. Why people are afraid of wine is beyond me, many speculate that it could be that the red color reminds them of blood.



10. You wont be a fat wineo

Wine unlike beer or some other fermented alcohols will not affect your waistline. In one study it found that women who had only one drink a day actually were on average ten pounds lighter than those who didn't drink. And lets face it ten pounds of body fat is a lot. It is theorized that calories in wine are not absorbed the same way as fats, carbs, and protein. So pick up a glass of wine and put down the pudding.

So there you have it folks, 10 amazing facts about wine. Do you know something that I dont? Shoot me an email or post in the comment section and share.

~Cheers

Uncorking Blufeld Sweet Riesling 2012 Germany

This week's wine is Blufeld Sweet Riesling 2012 Germany.

Wine Maker Notes: blufeld's flavor profile makes it a great partner for many foods, from salads to smoked or salty foods (ham, smoked trout, etc.) or for simple grilled white meats.The sweet-acid balance makes blufeld a perfect partner for spicy cuisines that may challenge drier wines. This is a perfect choice for Chinese or Thai dishes.


My Notes: spiced pear, apples, melon, crisp, light, front of pallet, smooth sharp finish, lingering after taste, prickly but in the best possible way, light body, medium tannin/acidity, musty leather aroma, like books.

Crisp cool and refreshing, I have yet to experience a Riesling like this. Very pleasant smooth and just well balanced. A sweet but not SWEET wine. And for the price one heck of a bargain. I came across this quite by accident as I was in a discount grocery store.

~Cheers

Amazing Wine Fact Part 2

In continuance from last weeks post Amazing Wine Facts Part 1, we learned how wine can improve your sexlife, its health benefits, and which country is the biggest consumer of Reds. In this week's post we will learn how the label on a bottle actually tells you more than you thought, how the color of wine can tell you the region its from, and why women tend to get drunk faster.

So let us continue shall we?

5. A Name so sweet...


In many regions of Europe the location of the grape and the wine produced their has a direct correlation with one another. When you see on the label Bordeaux or or Cabernet Sauvignon, it is typically produced from the Bordeaux region of France.

In wines produced in other countries you almost always have the varietal (or name of the grape). So you would see something like Pinot Grigio from Washington. Below is an example:





6. What your color says about where you're from


Who knew that by looking at the color of a wine that you could tell so much, like its region, the weather, and typically where the vineyard is located.


It is often that darker shades of red and darker shades of whites come from warmer climates, whereas lighter shades come from cooler regions. Which when you think about it, warmer climates would produce stronger bolder flavors as they would mature quicker in the heat. Lighter colors are less strong and not as lush.






7. A woman's BMI is going to determine how quickly she gets drunk.





Lets face it we have all been to the bar and seen these 'white girl wasted' women who are completely smashed after two cocktails or glasses of wine. This is not because they are skinny or fat, its because women have a higher fat content and therefore would exhibit a higher Blood Alcohol Concentration. So even if you were to have a man and a woman of the same height and build, she would still have a higher BMI, and fat doesn't absorb alcohol. Sorry ladies it doesn't matter how much you run on your treadmill's or work out, or eat more carrot's than Bugs Bunny. The liquor gets into your bloodstream faster.

Uncorking Madria Sangria Tradicional Fresh Citrus Wine

This weeks wine is Madria Sangria Tradicional Fresh Citrus Wine.

Wine Makers Notes: Our Madria Sangria Tradicional was inspired by the vibrant spirit of Madrid. Ruby red, infused with orange, lemon and lime, Madria Sangria Tradicional adds a lively citrus zing to any get-together. This traditional sangria recipe has won double gold and gold medals at competitions for its authentic Spanish taste. And it's now also available in convenient mini bottles.

My Notes: Perfume, spicy, musty, high tannin's mild acidity, sharp, strong finish, middle pallet, light body.

This wine was really not for me. It was a very strong citrus flavor as well as just being something that my amateur pallet was not yet use to. I will revisit it, but im to indifferent to be able to give a good or bad recommendation.

~Cheers

Amazing Wine Facts pt 1

We all love wine and the differences in the way its created is almost as endless as the vintners who bottle it. But here are some interesting facts about wine you may not know, and we will be covering in 3 parts.



1. It can Improve your Sex Life?


When we consume alcohol it especially wine it can help boost your libdo. Studies have shown that just 2 glasses can produce stronger pleasure in women than those who haven't drank.








2. China drinks more Red wine than France

In 2013 the Chinese were reported to have drank 155 million 9 liter cases of red wine. France only drank 150 million cases, which was 18% under from the previous year. But because red is a lucky color in China, and because of its health benefits it is really sought after. The biggest consumer is actually the US in California, Florida and New York. 




3. Thank God for Monks!


Monks and other holy orders are of the first to begin making wine. It is because of their attention to detail and their methodical note taking that we have the wine and the technology we have today. 



4. Not every wine is good for you


Well there goes the excuse for having a wine cellar or is it. We know that reds have all kinds of great beneficial stuff in it. But white wine may actually make you more cancer proned. These cancers are typically in the digestive system, so you should really limit how much you drink. Especially if your family is prone to cancer.

Uncorking Crane Lake Sweet Red 2013

This weeks wine is Crane Lake Sweet Red 2013

No wine maker notes were found on the page as Crane Lake Vineyards is a venter.

My Notes: musty pepper blackberry, dark fruit, earthy, medium body medium tannin middle pallet,  floral perfume finish.

I found that this red was not as sweet as some of the other reds that I have had in the recent past. It is more bold like a regular red but not as pungent. I really liked it as it was a (for a lack of better term) lighter red.

 It is an excellent dinner party wine, or book and blanket wine. I try to have at least 2 bottles on hand just for those special occasions.

~Cheers

Toasting the Scales

So while going down the wine isle or visiting your favorite seller, you may have noticed some awards and accolades on the bottles of various wines. But what does it all mean? Is there a difference between Marks, Points, and Stars?

In a simple answer "no not really." You see back in the 1980's a man by the name of Robert Parker developed a rating system of 100 Points. The 100-point system has become industry standard in measuring the quality of wine. This system isn't without its own flaws, but it does rate some of the aspects of wine very well. Some of the things it rates well is production quality, with some leeway.

Many question the merit of the point scale, mostly because it grades in a very elementary way and doesn't use the full spectrum of 0-100 but instead 50-100 with anything ranging below 50 to be considered swil. Most wines on the market can be found in the 85 to 100. Since most wines fall into this category some find the point system to be lacking. But more and more come to use it as a standard of measure.

Here is a  break down of the 100-Point system:

Since being introduced there have been other rating and scale systems that have evolved and some take on a more ridged technical feel, that the scaling system started by Dr Maynard Amerine of UC Davis who developed a 20 point system that was used more in acidemia and graded on color, smell, taste, as well as sugar balance, tannins, and acidity.

Here is a break down of the 20-Point System

Again here we dont see a full 20 point system rather than a 9 pointer. With this scale it leaves some wiggle room for interpretation

Other systems have been developed over the years using symbology as their means of rating such as John Platter in 1980. Platter developed a 5 star system for his book Guide to South African Wine. Another publication named Gambero Rosso, an Italian magazine uses their own methods of glasses, and still others use a simple asterisk ( * ) for top quality wines and two ** for exceptional ones.

Here is an example of Platters Rating

No matter the rating scale, you will find that wine boils down to personal taste. I myself have tasted "high quality" wines that I couldn't get out of my mouth fast enough, and some budgets that have been like sipping the nectar of the gods. 

But that is my humble opinion. 

~Cheers