Taking the world one wine at a time.
I’m not breaking new ground when I say that wine labels are so bloody difficult to make sense of! The good news is that Californian wine labels are, for the most part, much easier to wrap your head around than European labels. However, they’re still kind-of a minefield! The following list will help to shed some light on what all that lingo means and hopefully guide you in your wine buying decisions…at least with Californian…
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Winemaking has come to be romanticized as simply grapes, barrels, and time. But, not surprisingly, there’s a little-more to it than that! There’s chemistry, microbiology, additives, smoothing out the rough edges, tweaking flavors, clarifying, deepening the color, and doing everything else to meet the expectations of the wine drinking public.. This gap between public perception and reality has sparked a bit of a debate in the winemaking industry, and inspired a very few bold wineries…
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Car that Runs on Wine and Cheese Showcased at Eco-Rally Wine, cheese, chocolate and human sewage are just a few of the eccentric alternative fuels showcased at the Eco-Rally. The specialized Lotus Exige (pictured) is capable of running on an ethanol fuel that is made from wine, or whey, which is also a byproduct of the cheese or chocolate-making process. It was one of several new cars showcased last week at an eco-rally…
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Warning: This wine may contain fish bladders Wine lovers could be in for a bizarre shopping experience when a controversial federal law comes into effect in summer 2012. Get ready for label warnings declaring that your favorite beverage contains fish, eggs or milk. As part of new Health Canada food and beverage regulations designed to protect allergy sufferers and people with severe food intolerances, alcohol producers will be required to list an array…
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Should this wine be decanted? Yes, it probably should. I’m a big advocate for decanting / aerating, I try and do it as much as possible in my home; but then again I use a Soiree (saves washing-out a full decanter). Generally speaking, full-bodied and aged-reds are the only wines which are nominated for promotion to the decanter; this in order to either remove it from its sediment, or to increase its surface area, therefore…
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Sulfites are the salts of sulfurous acid, which are naturally occurring in grapes which nature uses to prevent microbial growth. They are found in onions, garlic, and many other plants. Sulfites have been known to cause severe allergic reactions in certain individuals, (please note the word “severe”). Through my wine studies, I once read that “If sulfites want to bother you, they will, possibly by triggering your untimely death!” Sulfites are actually the only…
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