Most tasting rooms are similar in the way they operate. When entering the tasting room, a tasting room staff member will greet you. Walk up to the tasting bar and say you would like to taste some of the wines. Some wineries charge for tastings and others do not. Occasionally a souvenir glass is included when you pay a tasting fee. You may have a choice to taste all the wines you would like on their list, or to choose a certain number of wines to taste, such as five wines.

Let the winery consultant guide your tasting. We have experienced consultants who pour the wine and tell us what we are about to smell and taste. Others will ask us what we observe about the wines. However, the latter is less frequent. There is a certain risk that winery staff takes if they ask your opinion. I recall a look of disappointment when one tasting consultant asked me what I thought a wine tasted like and I replied, “Leather.” The consultant thought it tasted like coffee. I do not drink coffee and now I have a sneaky feeling that it must taste like leather.

If you go to a tasting room on a less busy day (usually in the middle of the week), you will enjoy the opportunity to talk about the wine, winery and vineyards. Most tasting room staff members are knowledgeable about the wines they are pouring. A mere one percent of the wineries we have visited had a staff member who admitted that he just helps on the weekend and pours the wine. He told us he did not know anything about the wines he was pouring.

Most of the time, you will stand at the tasting bar. Some tasting rooms have bar stools next to the tasting bar. This is a very welcome addition if you are tasting at your third winery of the day. Some wineries use tables for wine tastings. At McGregor Vineyard and Winery along Keuka Lake in New York, you will sit at a table. The wine consultant will bring a plate of bite-sized food and will discuss the wine list with you. We also had a “sit down and be served” experience at Gloria Ferrer in California.

The “sit down at a table” theme continued at Schramsberg in California. After a tour of the caves at Schramsberg, the tour group gathered in a small dining room that had three tables set for a group of people. Our tour filled two of the tables. The wine consultant talked about the sparkling wines and then served us at the table. This afforded a great opportunity to talk about the wine with the other people at your table. This intimate approach occurred after group tours at Pine Ridge Winery and Quintessa in California.

Occasionally the winemaker will be on hand and may give a tour and conduct your tasting. Our most memorable tour was at The Lenz Winery on Long Island in New York. The winemaker had us taste his wines from the stainless steel tanks. He asked us what we thought and more often than not agreed with us. His tour proceeded to the barrel room and with thief in hand had us taste the wine from some of the barrels. Tasting wine from the barrels or tanks can give you an idea if the wine is ready or what more aging will do to it. The winemaker at Prince Michel Vineyards and Winery in Virginia has special barrel tastings. He discusses his wines and the stage they are at when you taste them.

One of our favorite tastings was during the tour at Del Dotto Winery in California. The tour led our group through the over one hundred year old candle-lit tunnels. Our guide stopped along the way and had us taste wines from the barrels. If we liked the wine, we took a ticket attached to the barrel. After the tour, we could order any of the wines we tasted. The wine would be bottled and shipped to many destinations.

Visiting winery tasting rooms is a great activity. Try to limit the number of tasting rooms you visit in one day. We try to visit two or three in a day. Tasting rooms are less crowded on the weekdays. Call ahead or check their times on the Internet before you start your adventure.

Author: Terry Sullivan is a retired educator and wine enthusiast who designed the website Wine Trail Traveler. He looks forward to relating his travels about wineries to website visitors. Wine Trail Traveler also offers educational modules and wine recipes.

For a fun and enjoyable trip to the California wine country, you can consult the many resources that are available to guide you in your planning. In addition to touring the wineries and wine tasting, there are many other activities to make your adventure unforgettable. In some of the counties you can include activities such as a mystery theater, mountain biking or resort accommodations in your tour plans.

Activities such as wine tasting seminars and walking vineyard tours are offered by family owned wineries in Santa Barbara, Sonoma Valley, Napa Valley and the Medocino area. Many of these places also have shops where you can purchase some of the endless varieties of wine and wine accessories you will see on your tours.

As everybody knows drinking and driving is not advisable, and for that reason you can tour the California wine country in a variety of ways, including by limo, bus, jeep, plane, train or for the adventurous, by hot air balloon. You will be able to find a tour package that satisfies your desires and fit your budget.

Most tour operators offer very flexible vacation packages, and if you are prepared for the unknown, you can even select to go for a surprise package that combines a variety of activities. Naturally in this era we live in, you can get information and quotes and make reservations online.

When you are planning a trip to California wine country, you may want to start your planning by searching for specific places you have in mind, like Sonoma Valley, Santa Cruz, Paso Robles and so on. Or you can look for popular tours or specific activities. There are many websites, like winecountrygetaways.com, that can give you good information.

California wine country is massive and covers most of the state and if offers different experiences throughout the year. Check with your tour operator and destination wineries to find out about weather conditions and what they would recommend to make your trip fantastic.

However, as you can imagine, these places are extremely popular and you need to do your research and reservation well in advance. There is an almost infinite number of ways for you to see, experience and enjoy a visit to California wine country. You can make your trip as unique as you want. From a romantic getaway to a quaint little bed and breakfast, to a joyous group tour of the wineries, there is something for everybody.

Author: Evert DuToit is a writer and website publisher from Pittsburgh, PA. For more on the enjoyment of wine and Napa Valley Wine Tours – visit us at http://www.wine-articles.com

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The world of red wines is a heady, rich and wonderful world filled with everything from the nuanced subtlety of a gentle South African Merlot to the peppery richness of Sangre de Toro, “Blood of the Bull” from Spain. In general, many of the “rules” of wine drinking have been cast aside in today’s world, making it more accessible to every person, and with the increased demand supply has soared, allowing for inexpensive and very delicious wine available to all.

Still, there are many who feel that the world of wine loving is not as yet open to them. With so many wines to choose among, where do you begin? How do you properly enjoy a red or white and with what meals would they be best?

Let’s look at some very basic tips to maximizing your exploration of red wines.

Don’t spend a ton of money on a bottle of wine. Leave that for later, once you’ve begun to explore beyond the brands and varietals that you like. There are so many wonderful and delicious wines that are available for somewhere between $5 and $8 a bottle, that you really should not need to drop $20 or $30 for a bottle of wine…at least not yet.

Don’t buy local, yet. Often, your local wine store is stocked with bottles from the local vineyard (if there is one). These can be wonderful, or they can be vinegar. It really can be something of a crap shoot. So, unless you live in the Napa valley, or some other area that is renown for its wine-making efforts, stick with something that is nationally or internationally distributed.

Stick with a varietal, for now. In other words, pick a wine that is primarily made from one type of grape, i.e. a Shiraz, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, etc. Try to avoid blended reds to begin with, though they can be quite delicious. By learning the flavors of the varietal grapes, you’ll better understand what it is about the blend that you like. Avoid flavored wines or coolers that you can get at your local convenience store. These are little more than non-bubbly soda pop with alcohol in them and can lead to a nasty headache as they are hastily made from the least pure ingredients.

Start with a nice Merlot from South Africa, Australia, New Zealand or Chile. These vineyards are usually able to balance cost with quality quite nicely. The reason I recommend Merlot is that of all the red varietals, it is the gentlest, and complements a broad menu of meals.

Reds like to breathe. Open the bottle and let it sit for ten minutes or so. This allows oxygen to get at the wine and mature it quickly. For that matter, pouring the wine into the glasses and allowing it to sit for ten to twenty minutes accelerates this process. You’ll find the flavor is much enhanced by this approach.

Reds at Room Temperature and Whites Chilled. A simple rule that does not always apply but is a good guide, nonetheless. Chilling a red removes many of the subtleties of flavor for which you buy the wine in the first place and slows the wine’s ability to mature with exposure to oxygen. Keep them room temperature.

I mentioned earlier that many of the “rules” of wine loving have been discarded, or at least loosened, such as ‘red wine with red meat or pasta and white wine with fish or poultry.’ While these are not bad guidelines, they really are not carved in stone and nowadays waiters and even the seasoned gourmand will not turn up his/her nose at a guest who asks for a red with fish or enjoys a nice, tart Chardonnay with a burger.

Merlot with what? While a Merlot can be a perfect complement for a spaghetti dinner (particularly if you have a nice buttery garlic bread), it can easily sit beside a pork chop or fried chicken dinner. A Merlot is a lovely, non-pretentious start to your journey and should open the door nicely to a journey of wine loving.

OK, Now What? Try a few different brands of Merlot from competing vineyards. Note the differences in style and substance. I’d recommend sticking to those south of the equator to begin with. Once you feel like you’ve tasted a number of Merlots and are acquainted with the differences, then move on to a Cabernet Sauvignon and begin your journey anew. I’d hold off on Shiraz, Syrah, Petite Syrah or Beaujolais until you have a basic appreciation of Merlots and Cabernets, but once you do, then dive in to the heavy, heady, peppery joy of the stronger reds. Once you feel like you really understand and can note the differences of the red varietals, start exploring the blends or the truly excellent California varietals. Good luck and enjoy!

By: Dana Roberts
Article Source: http://www.articlescondo.com/article29838.html

There have been many articles written about the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy. And there have many debates and researches that referred to this issue.

Some experts say moderate drinking during pregnancy is okay, but there are others who believe taking even one drink is like very dangerous for the baby’s health.

The thing that is not debatable is that whatever women eat or drink while pregnant goes directly through your bloodstream into the placenta so literally if a pregnant woman takes a drink — a glass of wine, a beer or a cocktail — the unborn child takes the same.

For the unborn child, the alcohol interferes with his ability to get enough oxygen and nourishment for normal cell development in the brain and other body organs. Research has shown that a developing foetus has very little tolerance for alcohol and infants born to mothers who drink during pregnancy can have serious problems. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a pattern of mental and physical defects which develops in some unborn babies when the mother drinks “too much” alcohol during pregnancy. A baby born with FAS, or even with the lesser Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE), can have serious handicaps and therefore could require a lifetime of special care. There is even some research that indicates that women who plan to get pregnant should stop drinking before they even conceive.

The debate raised by the Department of Health is about how much is “too much” because until now it was said that the only safe limit is no alcohol at all. The Department of Health said that pregnant women and those hoping to conceive can safely drink up to two glasses of wine a week without harming the foetus.

Dr Raja Mukherjee, an expert on the disorder who works at St George’s hospital medical school in Tooting, London, called for pregnant women to cut out alcohol completely, and said the UK’s binge drinking habits were of particular concern: “There is an increasing literature of evidence, however, to suggest that binge drinking as well as low doses of alcohol can cause damage.”

The Department of Health said the research cited at the conference had been reviewed in March as part of the government’s alcohol harm reduction strategy, and that the two units a week limit was considered to be safe.

Author: Alison White

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_53218_17.html

Do you and your college mates sit up late at night drinking can after can getting smashed? This has been the pastime of generations and generations of students. But it’s all about to change. Or at least, you can start to change it if you want to.

The biggest benefit to choosing something other than beer is that it will make you appear much more of an intellectual. This is a great way for not only attracting girls, but attracting friends as well. People look for interesting people to associate with and by drinking something other than beer automatically makes you different. The best choice? Wine.

There are almost an unlimited amount of varieties of wine, so that’s what makes it a great choice. Take some time and learn the basics by reading up on the internet and then go out and buy a few bottles. Learn about all the different choices you have and figure out which fit your taste buds. Some bottles of wine can cost a lot of money, so start out cheap and work your way up.

Once you know what you like, start ordering it when you go out to restaurants. This will definitely impress your date or friends and will at the very least be a great conversation starter. In other countries, you’ll probably have been drinking wine since you were really young, so if you ever meet someone from, say, Europe, they’ll know all about wine. If the person you’re with knows a lot about wine, too, then you’ll both have something to talk about and can only help to bring you closer together. You’ll even be able to share different types of wine with each other. Something else that’s fun to do is host your own wine and cheese party.

Of course there are other alternatives to wine, but why would you even consider anything else? A huge majority of the world’s population drinks wine with every meal. Some people celebrate with wine; others drink it on Sundays during mass at church. It can be used for all sorts of things.

It’s also a very healthy alternative to other forms of alcohol. Wine has been known to help fight heart disease and gives you lots of anti-oxidants to help clean out your system. This is, of course, assuming that you don’t overdo it. Drinking too much of any alcohol can damage your liver and eventually be a cause of destroying it. Wine typically contains less alcohol than other hard liqueurs, though, so there is generally less to worry about.

So, all in all, if you want to become more attractive and have people flocking to you, switch to wine. Learn about all the different types and figure out which ones you like. Not only will you appear to be more intellectual, in doing all that research, you’ll actually become more of an intellectual. This will help you out in many different ways throughout life and you’ll be able to appreciate lots of different events a lot more.

About the Author: Dexter Bedd – Wine Tasting

If you drink alcohol then you should definitely think about drinking red wine. There are several health benefits of drinking red wine. The experience is extremely enjoyable and the drink would be a logical option for you. Let us have a detailed look at the health benefits of red wine.

Scientists firmly believe that the key is to health a benefit of red wine is the antioxidants present in it. These are also known as Flavonoids. Flavonoids work towards reducing the low density lipoprotein or LDL production. LDL is also known as ‘bad’ cholesterol. Red wine also plays a great role in increasing the production of HDL or high density lipoprotein or ‘good’ cholesterol in the body. The combined effects of reduction of LDL and increase in HDL help a lot in preventing blood clots and enhancement in the overall lipid profile.

Red wine is also a rich source of phytochemicals. These are biologically active compounds found in plants. Polyphenols are the phytochemicals found in red wine.

Catechins and resveratrol are two major polyphenols found in red wine. Both these polyphenols are antioxidants. Antioxidants are help in reducing oxidative damage in the body. This is a type of damage caused by oxygen free radicals inside the body. Free radicals attack molecules via capturing electrons and thereafter transforming chemical structures.

Some of the researchers also claim that drinking wine promotes good cardiovascular health and facilitates normal call growth and healthy aging due to the presence of resveratrol in it. The other polyphenol, catechin play a significant role in minimizing the risk of heart disease. Saponin is another antioxidant found in red wine. This antioxidant also provides optimum protection to the heart. It is easily absorbed by the body.

However, the health benefits of drinking red wine does not limit to only cardiovascular benefits. Many studies and researches proved that resveratrol present in the red wine can facilitate the reduction of the growth of cancerous tumors. This antioxidant also contains properties that may be helpful in nerve cell formation and can help in treating some neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

With so many health benefits of drinking red wine, people may love to indulge in too much drinking. However, it is important to know that drinking in moderation will only provide the above mentioned benefits to health. Too much of red wine may have adverse effects on the body. You may suffer from health conditions like obesity, high blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmia, cholesterol and stroke by drinking too much red wine. Hence, you should resist over consumption of red wine.

Moderate consumption of red wine will let you enjoy all the health benefits it tends to provide the drinker. Moderate consumption means one to two glasses per day for men and a glass a day for women. Now, if you think that you can abstain from drinking red wine for a week and then consume a good amount of it over the weekend. You are absolutely wrong. This is unhealthy.

Drink red wine. It’s healthy. Don’t over do it. Just moderate consumption will work wonders for your health.

Author: Ray Nwambuonwo – Captivating articles about products and services you need to have.Subscribe to my feed to get regular updates -> http://www.winesandbenefits.com

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Most people have a general idea how many calories they consume when it comes to solid foods, although it is quite common to forget that when we drink, we are still consuming calories. Alcohol drinkers, especially wine drinkers, may be surprised at the calorie intake associate with wine. So how many calories are in wine?

The answer depends on your discernment. Most wines come in under the 100 calorie mark per glass. This is assuming that you are using the appropriate wine glasses. There are fewer calories in wine than most other alcoholic beverages. White Zinfandel and Sauvignon blanc come in at 80 calories per serving. Considering that one glass of wine per evening is good for cardiovascular health, this can be a reasonable compliment to an evening meal.

Marsala also weighs in at a mere 80 calories per serving while Chablis is a mild 85 calories. Red Zinfandel as well as the majority of other popular wines, comes in at 90 calories per serving. Riesling, Chardonnay, White Burgundy, and Cabernet Sauvignon all round out at 90 calories per 4 ounce serving. Topping it off with just 5 additional calories you can sip Red Burgundy, Red Bordeaux, Beaujolais, Merlot, Rhone, or Rose.

Considering that most people have more than just one glass, the remaining wines are considered to be a little heftier in calorie count. While a single 4 ounce serving may only add about 100 calories to an evening, those who drink wine regularly tend to do so with a certain amount of vigor, consuming between 3 and 5 glasses in an average evening.

Wines such as Mosell, Pink Champagne, and Chianti contain 100 calories preserving while Sangria and Sauterne climbs that calorie ladder by and additional ten calories. Dry Champagne meets them in the middle at 105 calories.

It’s not just about the calories in wine when trying to maintain a low calorie lifestyle and still participate fully in social events or a romantic evening. Some calories are easier to burn while others are easier to store. Wine comes from fruit which is a form of sugar. The sugar in wine, even dry wines, makes the calories a bit harder to burn off. Sugar that comes from fruit is a natural and healthy energy, although once the fruit has been fermented, the sugar content raises and becomes more fructose-like than its original form.

Other wines weigh in much heavier in the calorie counting battle. Muscatel comes in at 160 as does Madeira. Tokay sneaks up to 165 while White Port hits 170. Ruby Port tops the list at 185.

Now, keeping in mind that an average gin and tonic comes in around 280 calories and that most frozen delectable alcoholic drink can average 800 calories or above, wine is certainly a low calorie choice given the options.

And of course we are all familiar with a “beer gut,” which is never referred to as a “wine gut.” Regular beer can be anywhere from 140 to 200 calories per 12 ounce serving and light beer weighs in on average around 100 calories. The conception that light beer means that it is calorie free has produced a high level of sales for the lighter version of the basic favorites. In no way are these beers saving on significant calories. Not to mention they are filled with empty calories.

It is perfectly possible to maintain a healthy lifestyle and still enjoy the occasional evening out or a couple glasses of wine with dinner. The wine drinker is fortunate as the calorie count in most wines do not necessarily call for large alterations to diets in order to enjoy a few drinks. For the occasional social wine drinker, cutting out about 100 calories per meal during the few days before a social event will help to keep a solid daily average. The calories in wine are low enough that most people can simply cut out the desserts offered at the social event and just one or two lighter calorie meals preceding the event. For daily wine drinkers, skimping a few calories out of every meal will allow for basically normal eating and avoid the build up of additional calories.

Skipping meals before a social event is not likely to keep the calorie count down. In fact, it is likely to raise the overall calorie count for the evening, as alcohol in any form lowers blood glucose levels and tells the brain to signal to the body that it is experiencing hunger. A few drinks in the system and what would normally be a decision based on health becomes a decision based on a lack of willpower or the attitude that “it’s only one night, it can’t hurt to throw my cautions to the wind!” Which can be true, but in most cases those who are trying to maintain a low calorie diet are tempted to “make up” for their sinful evening by crash dieting the following two or three days which only creates yo-yo dieting.

The calories in wine can easily be adjusted for simply by keeping track of the basic consumption for each situation and adjusting by about 100 calories for each glass of wine. Unless someone is a continual and heavy wine drinker, the daily food consumption really shouldn’t suffer due to the alcohol consumption. If it is, then it is time to get some help.

About the Author: David Beart is the owner of www.professorshouse.com. Our site covers cooking, wine, marriage, forums and relationships.

There is no better way to get to know a variety of wine than going to a wine tasting. It is a unique opportunity to taste wines, have an expert guide you through the tasting, give them points according to your own tastes, and then, by the end of the evening, have a great idea of the type of wine that is your favourite.

When you are at a wine tasting, you taste the wine with a group of people, sometimes familiar people, sometimes strangers, making it a great opportunity to get ideas from others. Other people will have tried different bottles of wine to you previously and will be happy to share their views on which wine goes with which type of food and how to keep wine at its best once the bottle has been opened.

Wine tastings happen regularly across the country and beyond. They are usually held in interesting locations in city centres, such as art galleries, museums, or other heritage buildings. They often have producers of wine in attendance as well as experts, to guide you through the evening and offer advice if needed.

In addition to wine on offer, canapés or hors d’oevres are often served as well, making for a great night out, discovering new tastes and hopefully finding a new wine to fall in love with.

Not only are wine tastings a great way to get to know a new wine, it is also a fantastic way to meet fellow wine lovers and who knows, by the end evening, you could have made a new friend or two.

Most wine tastings only last for a couple of hours – any longer and you would have forgotten the first wine that you have tried. It is a good idea to make sure you don’t drink too much too quickly, as you will be mixing different types of wine, and you don’t want to end up buying something you didn’t really like, or having a splitting headache in the morning.

Wine tastings are held all over the country, from Bristol to Durham, at Lancaster to Salisbury.

There is bound to be one close to you. In addition to wine tastings, some companies hold wine dinners, where you get to taste wine in conjunction with indulging in a great meal.

Wine tastings come in a couple of different formats. There is a more formal, intimate set-up, which could feature fine wines and more information on a smaller number of wines. There is also the less formal setting where you walk around tasting a larger variety of wines, but this lacks the intimacy and the expertise of the more formal gathering.

If you are interested in wine tastings, why not check out an independent online retailer where you will find more information on this service.

Author: Fiona Muller has been writing for over 20 years. She is a qualified journalist and has worked in food and drink writing for the last few years. For more information
Visit – www.laithwaites.co.uk

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/wines-and-spirits-articles/an-ideal-way-to-taste-lots-of-wines-424317.html

Wine is a very wide spread term that is simply fruit being distilled and fermented for the product of an alcoholic drink. When most people think of wine they immediately think grapes, but there are so many different sources for wine production these include rice (sake), various fruits (elderberry, grapefruit, cherry, etc.), barley, and even honey (mead).

To make everything simple with will touch mostly on the wines that are made from grapes alone. These are categorized by several means, of which include vinification methods, taste and lastly vintage. Many unknowing wine drinkers wouldn’t care about the subtle differences in these categories, after all, most people rely completely on the taste of the wine. Although for many of you perfectionists out there wine is your heart and soul.

These wines have to abide by the highest levels, everything has to be exactly dead on, the type of grape, taste and quality of he vintage must all conform to the best standards before any wine master will even think about having it as part of there collection.

Vinification

Vinification is the process by which grape juice is fermented into wine. The process of fermentation determines how the wine turns out and it is this quality that determines the price. The 1 mistake made by the early wine drinkers is that the juice from the grapes varies; this isn’t the case as juice from either grape is colourless.

What does determine the color of the wine is whether the grape skins have been fermented with the wine or were they left out, red wines are fermented with there skins on and with white wine the skins have been left off and as for rose wine, well it is just a combination of the two wines Sparkling wines and champagne are carbonated, this is where carbon dioxide is enter into the mix, this process is achieved by fermenting the grape juice twice.

The 1st fermentation takes place in opened vats this allows all the C02 to be released. Then for the 2nd fermentation the vats are closed, this has the effect of keeping all the carbon dioxide in and mixed with the wine.

Taste

Most wines are described as dry, off-dry, fruity, or sweet. This is a direct result of the amount of sugar that is left over after the fermentation process has ended, Dry wine has very little sugar content, while a sweeter wine has a higher sugar content. Past this basic taste testing, wine tasting enthusiasts have came up with a good method of classing wine, this would entail more levels of taste and the different smells that the wine releases. Many less informed on wine find this system hard to grasp, but the seasoned wine drinker consider the ability to discern even the most subtle elements of a wines taste to be a great achievement. As a good example, Cabernet Sauvignon which is loved everywhere around the world has been said to taste of currants, tobacco, chocolate and mint.

Vintage

Vintage is a straight forward classification when wine is concerned, this refers to the year of the grapes harvest from which the wine was produced. This is very important as a lot of wine makers have very well producing grape harvests only in particular years. In addition to this the very finest grapes are specially set aside to be used in the making of special vintage bottles. You then reap the best quality wine from the good harvest that year.

Author: Mario Oreilly
Wine – Find all the wines you could ever want all of the worlds wine can be found at marios-bar.com

Wine – Red wines can be a very nice wine for your meal find any red wine you like here

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