All About Wine

Cheap Wine Table Wine

2007-10-06T12:38:00.000-07:00

In USA Table wine is used as a legal definition to differentiate standard wine from stronger (higher alcohol content) fortified wine or sparkling wine.

In the European Union it is meant to designate the lowest quality level of wine produced, one that qualifies for neither an appellation nor even a broad regional designation. In France and Luxembourg it is called vin de table. Similar in nature are Spain's vino de mesa, Romania`s vin de masă, Portugal's vinho de mesa, Italy's vino da tavola, Greece's epitrapezios oinos, and Germany's Deutscher Tafelwein and Deutscher Landwein.

These are what some people like to say about cheap wine

Jhonny:: "for a good buzz i would say wild irish rose 4 bucks!!!"

Linda:: "Italian wine without a doubt, Soave (dry white approx. £2.50), Frascati again a dry white prob. about £3 to £4 or the more sweeter sparkley wines like lambrussco also very cheap."

American Lad:: "f you live anywhere in the US where there is a Trader Joes...check out Charles Shaw wine. Pretty decent AND Trader Joe's always sells it for 2 dollars...hence the name, "Two Buck Chuck!" If you don't have a Trader Joes, most major supermarkets are now carrying Barefoot brand wines. They are inexpensive but still delicious and have won many awards up against the most expensive wines!"

Ann Todd:: "2 Buck Chuck'sCharles Shaw makes a wine that is generally $2 a bottle, yes a full size bottle.Usually found in Califiornia at Trader Joes"

Well if You Guys Have any more comments on Cheap WIne Dont Forget to Post it As
A COMMENT !!!!! HERE AND IF POSSIBLE PLEASE LEAVE YOUR NAME AND EMAIL AND PLACE SO THAT I CAN CONTACT YOU

Thankyou

Cheap WIne Shiraz Australian Wine

2007-10-04T03:48:00.000-07:00

Shiraz is widely used to make a dry red table wine. It is often vinified on its own, but is also frequently blended with other grape varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Viognier. It is grown in many wine producing regions around the world, with concentrations in Australia, The Rhone Valley in France, and America. It is often used as a blending grape in Spain and Italy as well.

Recently, Australian Shiraz producers have started to add up to 4% Viognier to their Shiraz to add apricot tones to the wine's nose and palette. With such a small percentage added, the producer wasn't obliged to declare the blend on the label. In the past 5 years however, it's becoming increasingly fashionable to label the wine Shiraz Viognier as Viognier gains consumer acceptance in the market place. The practise of blending Viognier with Syrah has actually been common for years in the Northern Rhône Valley region of Cote-Rotie.

Many premium Shiraz-based wines are at their best after some considerable time aged in a cellar (10-15 years). There is also a small amount of rosé wine produced from the Syrah grape. Before the popularity of Australian Shiraz wine it was very often used to make port. A number of Australian winemakers also make a full-bodied sparkling dry shiraz, that contains the complexity and sometimes earthy notes that are normally found in still wine.

shiraz wine bottle

Shiraz Taste

Wines made from Shiraz are often quite powerfully flavoured and full-bodied. The variety produces wines with a wide range of flavor notes, depending on the climate and soils where it is grown, as well as other viticultural practices chosen. Aroma characters can range from violets to berries, chocolate, espresso and black pepper. No one aroma can be called "typical" though blackberry and pepper are often noticed. With time in the bottle these "primary" notes are moderated and then supplemented with earthy or savory "tertiary" notes such as leather and truffle. "Secondary" flavor and aroma notes are those associated with several things, including winemakers' practices (such as oak barrel and yeast regimes), and terroir (the impact made by the soil, weather, and aspect where the grapes are grown).

Australian Shiraz

The Shiraz grape was introduced into Australia in 1832 by James Busby, an immigrant who brought vine clippings from Europe with him. Today it is Australia's most popular red grape, but has not always been in such favor; in the 1970s, white wine was so popular that growers were ripping out unprofitable Shiraz and Grenache vineyards, even those with very old vines. Many factors, including the success of brands like Lindemans and Jacob's Creek in the UK, as well as Rosemount in the US, were responsible for a dramatic expansion of plantings during the 1980s and 1990s; a similar trajectory occurred in California. However, the biggest factor in this expansion during the 1990s was a federal government tax subsidy to those planting new vineyards.

South Australian regions tend to be the most highly regarded for Shiraz in Australia. Regions such as the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and the Clare Valley have consistently produced some of the country's best Shiraz for several decades. These regions tend to produce very full bodied, high alcohol wines (between 13.5 and 16%).

Notable Victorian regions include Heathcote, roughly 1.5 hours north of Melbourne. Cooler climate regions such as Western Australia's Margaret River produce Shiraz with marginally less alcohol content and often in a more traditional French style.

The most famous, and possible best, example of the Shiraz grape in Australian viticulture and indeed one of the finest wines in the world, is the Penfolds, "Grange". This wine was created by winemaker Max Schubert in 1951, and has proved in vertical tastings to age exceptionally well. The Penfolds Grange is predominantly Shiraz, but often includes a small quantity of Cabernet Sauvignon. There was also a rare one off Bin 9 Grange Cabernet Sauvignon created in 1953. It is usually a multi-regional blend of the finest Shiraz in South Australia, with the Barossa Valley playing an important role. It is always matured exclusively in new American Oak. Other great Australian Shiraz wines include, the Henschke "Hill of Grace" and the Penfolds "RWT".

spa

2007-09-29T11:25:00.000-07:00

Technorati Profile

Red Wine Making In Easy Steps

2007-09-15T12:54:00.000-07:00

Wine Making!!!!!!!!!!!!

Of the number of wine types available on the market, red wine is considered as one of the best. It comes in a number of types though, but all are produced following a single process. For instance, red wine is made from black grapes, with its color drawn from the skins of the grapes.

Throughout the creation of red wine making, the selected grapes will be place on the grinder. At this point, the skins of the grapes will be shatter efficiently on the grinder. Depending on what type of wine is done and the tannin that has required, the stems do or they are utilized or are rejected on this point. After that, the grapes are put in a vat of fermentation with the skins. This procedure will take longer, taking several weeks to complete. Additional color and tannin will be extracted of the grapes when it is used on a top temperature.

The entire grapes use is sealed fermented vats when making the softest wine. The carbon dioxide that trapped in the vats on the additional value becomes sealed ferments the grapes under the difficulty that is normally a quick procedure, carrying only few days. You consider, it is based how lengthy the fermenting procedure takes between the color and tannin content of the wine. But when the fermenting procedure takes a long moment, then the wine becomes usual more taste and color hold.

So as to remaining loaded with the grapes it will pass across a printing, having shattered to create a wine of tannic. Occasionally, tannic wine is added with more formation to the wine mixtures. It will take long one for the second fermentation, although it puts emphasis on the value and the taste of the wine.

When the tanning wine is being crushed, the enduring size of the grapes will go through a press. Tannic wine is added more formation and added with an open run wine on the way to combine. Then it will move to the barrels or tanks for a second fermentation from the press and vat wine. It will take long for the second fermentation even though the taste from the wine brings out the excellence.

A least of a year in the barrels will spend all types of fine red wine. Other red wine will spend a few more years in the barrels and spend a lot more time. Red wine is also fine tuned with egg whites, which the yeast and some solids found in the wine will suspend earlier than the wine is racked, filtered, and finally bottled. When it is bottled, the wine will be transport and advertise on the market. Several of wines stock up a period of time in the bottle before it is presented to the market.

So thats it u liked it its simple and easy try it out at home....

Please leave a comment Below if u like this article

google01ecb1effe685746

2007-09-12T01:49:00.000-07:00

Never Mock God

2007-09-11T03:00:00.001-07:00

NEVER MOCK GOD!

Make a personal reflection about this. Very interesting, read until the end...

It is written in the Bible (Galatians 6:7): "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Here are some men and women who mocked God:

CHRIS MURUNGARU:
In Kenya , when some govt ministers ganged up against a State-sponsored draft constitution in 2005, the then minister for Internal Security Dr . Chris Ndarathi Murungaru said: "Hata shetani mwenyewe anajua hii katiba ni nzuri (even satan himself knew it was good for the country.
God loved the country so much that, although the rebel ministers campaigned using rhetoric words, the govt failed to deliver a constitution for the country. he could not have allowed it to have a constitution that has been ratified by the devil.
Murungaru was later to be sacked after being implicated in grand corruption. He has also been banned from setting foot in the US and UK .

JOHN LENNON:
Some years before, during his interview with an American Magazine, he said:
"Christianity will end, it will disappear. I do not have to argue about that. I am certain. Jesus was OK, but his subjects were too simple, Today we are more famous than Him" (1966). Lennon, after saying that the Beatles were more famous than Jesus Christ, was shot six times.

TANCREDO NEVES (President of Brazil):
During the Presidential campaign, he said if he got 500,000 votes from his party, not even God would remove him from Presidency.
Sure he got the votes, but he got sick a day before being made President, then he died.

CAZUZA (Bi-sexual Brazilian composer, singer and poet):
During a show in Cane cão ( Rio de Janeiro ), whilst smoking his cigarette, he puffed out some smoke into the air and said:
"God, that's for you."
He died at the age of 32 of AIDS in a horrible manner.

THE MAN WHO BUILT TITANIC:
After the construction of Ti tanic, a reporter asked him how safe the Titanic would be. With an ironic tone he said:
"Not even God can sink it"
The result: I think you all know what happened to the Titanic.

MARILYN MONROE:
She was visited by Billy Graham during a presentation of a show. He said the Spirit of God had sent him to preach to her. After hearing what the Preacher had to say, she said:
"I don't need your Jesus."
A week later, she was found dead in her apartment.

BON SCOTT:
The ex-vocalist of the AC/DC. On one of his 1979 songs he sang:
"Don't stop me, I'm going down all the way, down the highway to hell.."
On the 19th of February 1980 , Bon Scott was found dead, he had been choked by his own vomit.

CAMPINAS/SP IN 2005
In Campinas, Brazil a group of friends, drunk, went to pick up a friend. The mother accompanied her to the car and was so worried about the drunkenness of her friends and she said to the daughter - holding her hand, who was already seated in the car:
"MY DAUGHTER, GO WITH GOD AND MAY HE PROTECT YOU."
She responded:
"ONLY IF HE (GOD) TRAVELS IN THE BOOT, CAUSE INSIDE HERE IT'S ALREADY FULL"
Hours later, news came by that they had been involved in a fatal accident, everyone had died, the car could not be recognized what type of car it had been, but surprisingly, the boot was intact. The police said there was no way the boot could have remained intact. To their surprise, inside the boot was a crate of eggs, none were broken.....
Boot means trunk .

Many more important people have forgotten that there is no other name that was given so much authority as the name o f Jesus. Many have died but only Jesus died and rose again, and he is still alive.

JESUS!!!

P.S: If it was a joke, you could have sent it to everyone. So are you going to have courage to send this?. I have done my part, Jesus said
"If you are embarrassed about me, I will also be embarrassed about you before my father."

What benefit does it have, if a man gains the whole world but loses his soul? What can man give in exchange for his soul? (Matthew 16:26

Fussy? Opinionated? Impossible to please? Perfect. Join Yahoo!'s user panel and lay it on us.

............ ......... .

Mysterious WIne Bottle

2007-09-10T22:26:00.000-07:00

What do u guys and girls See in this Bottle

I hope u guys liked the bottle

See You Are All Perverts hehe

I only see 9 Dolphins here So decide what kind of person u want to be in your life !!!!!!!

If you liked this page plese leave a comment below

Healthy Red Wine

2007-09-05T08:28:00.000-07:00

Does red wine protect against heart disease? Maybe. Many studies investigated the benefits of red wine suggested that moderate amount of red wine (one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men) lowers the risk of heart attack for people in middle age by ~ 30 to 50 percent. It is also suggested that alcohol such as red wine may prevent additional heart attacks if you have already suffered from one. Other studies also indicated that red wine can raise HDL cholesterol (the Good cholesterol) and prevent LDL cholesterol (the Bad cholesterol) from forming. Red wine may help prevent blood clots and reduce the blood vessel damage caused by fat deposits. Indeed, studies showed that people from the Mediterranean region who regularly drank red wine have lower risks of heart disease

What's in Red Wine that are good for heart?

Red wine is a particularly rich source of antioxidants flavonoid phenolics, so many studies to uncover a cause for red wine's effects have focused on its phenolic constituents, particularly resveratrol and the flavonoids. Resveratrol, found in grape skins and seeds, increases HDL cholesterol and prevent blood clotting. Flavonoids, on the other hand, exhibit antioxidant properties helping prevent blood clots and plaques formation in arteries.

Should I start drinking more red wine now?

The answer is No. Studies showed that alcohol drinking may increase triglycerides (another Bad blood lipids) and result in weight gain due to its empty calories. Other studies also suggested that alcohol consumption is associated with cancer risk. Read Alcohol and Cancer. The American Heart Association cautions people NOT to start drinking if they do not already drink alcohol. If you already drink alcohol, do so in moderation. AHA recommends one to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. (A drink is one 12 oz. beer, 4 oz. of wine, 1.5 oz. of 80-proof spirits, or 1 oz. of 100-proof spirits.)

Key: Grapes, many other fruits and vegetables and regular physical activities offer the same benefits for heart as seen in alcohol. Include a variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet to maximize the heart health benefits.

If you liked this page Please leave a Comment here below

Take a Break DudesTounge Twisters

2007-08-29T04:23:00.000-07:00

Tongue Twisters

Repeating tongue twisters out loud can help develop clearer speech.

* Red lorry, yellow lorry, red lorry, yellow lorry.

* A box of biscuits, a batch of mixed biscuits.

* A skunk sat on a stump and thunk the stump stunk,

but the stump thunk the skunk stunk.

* Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

Did Peter Piper pick a peck of pickled peppers?

If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,

where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

* Unique New York.

* Betty Botter had some butter,

"But," she said, "this butter's bitter.

If I bake this bitter butter,

it would make my batter bitter.

But a bit of better butter--

that would make my batter better."

So she bought a bit of butter,

better than her bitter butter,

and she baked it in her batter,

and the batter was not bitter.

So 'twas better Betty Botter

bought a bit of better butter.

* Six thick thistle sticks. Six thick thistles stick.

* Is this your sister's sixth zither, sir?

* A big black bug bit a big black bear,

made the big black bear bleed blood.

* The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick.

* Toy boat. Toy boat. Toy boat.

* One smart fellow, he felt smart.

Two smart fellows, they felt smart.

Three smart fellows, they all felt smart.

* Pope Sixtus VI's six texts.

* I slit the sheet, the sheet I slit, and on the slitted sheet I sit.

* She sells sea shells by the sea shore.

The shells she sells are surely seashells.

So if she sells shells on the seashore,

I'm sure she sells seashore shells.

* Mrs. Smith's Fish Sauce Shop.

* "Surely Sylvia swims!" shrieked Sammy, surprised.

"Someone should show Sylvia some strokes so she shall not sink."

* A Tudor who tooted a flute

tried to tutor two tooters to toot.

Said the two to their tutor,

"Is it harder to toot

or to tutor two tooters to toot?"

* Shy Shelly says she shall sew sheets.

* Three free throws.

* I am not the pheasant plucker,

I'm the pheasant plucker's mate.

I am only plucking pheasants

'cause the pheasant plucker's running late.

* Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.

* A flea and a fly flew up in a flue.

Said the flea, "Let us fly!"

Said the fly, "Let us flee!"

So they flew through a flaw in the flue.

* Knapsack straps.

* Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches?

* Lesser leather never weathered wetter weather better.

* Six sick slick slim sycamore saplings.

* A bitter biting bittern

Bit a better brother bittern,

And the bitter better bittern

Bit the bitter biter back.

And the bitter bittern, bitten,

By the better bitten bittern,

Said: "I'm a bitter biter bit, alack!"

* Inchworms itching.

* A noisy noise annoys an oyster.

* The myth of Miss Muffet.

* Mr. See owned a saw.

And Mr. Soar owned a seesaw.

Now See's saw sawed Soar's seesaw

Before Soar saw See,

Which made Soar sore.

Had Soar seen See's saw

Before See sawed Soar's seesaw,

See's saw would not have sawed

Soar's seesaw.

So See's saw sawed Soar's seesaw.

But it was sad to see Soar so sore

Just because See's saw sawed

Soar's seesaw!

If you liked this page Please leave a comment here

Simple Free Guide To Wine Tasting

2007-08-23T07:16:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen those stiff upper-lipped types doing a spot of the old wine tasting malarkey? You know the form – sip, swill, spit. Yuck! Well this information has been written to help you understand the form should you ever find yourself in a situation where you need to know what to do. And don't go thinking "I'll never have to do any wine-tasting" because you just don't know that for sure and the last thing you want is to be caught unaware.

So, on with the tasting...

Study The Wine

Pick up your glass as elegantly as possible. There are two ways this can be done.

a) For chilled wines – hold the glass by the stem and don't even touch the bowl.

b) For wine served at room temperature – pick up the glass by the bowl and hold it cupped in your palm, the stem between your middle two fingers.

Now that you have the glass comfortably in your hand, hold it at a slight angle against something white. If your hostess is worth her salt, she'll have covered the table in white linen specifically for this purpose (although it does look nice, too).

Be careful not to tip the glass too far – unless you're willing to replace an expensive linen tablecloth, that is. You may also need to adjust the distance from your eyes that the glass is held at. Most find that holding it at almost arm's length is a good starting point although the very short sighted who are also absent minded enough to have left their eye glasses at home may find themselves having to hold the glass almost in front of their noses.

Once you've found the correct position, study the colour and clarity of the wine. Now you may well believe that wine's either red, pink, or white but I'm afraid, if that's the case, you're very much mistaken. Wines can be green, yellow, gold, pink, purple, or even black. Evidently, the colour of the wine will indicate the type of grape it was made from – like me, you, and Jack on the street are likely to know that!

Clarity indicates age. Young wines are more see through and cloudiness can mean there's something wrong. If that's the case, I'd suggest putting it back on the table and giving your hostess once of those 'down your nose' type looks.

The reason why you're studying the colour and clarity looks has absolutely no bearing on how the wine will taste but a proper connoisseur enjoys the beauty of wine as well as its taste and ...

The Bouquet

No, we're not talking about the bunch of flowers a bride carries with her down the aisle, we're talking the smell of wine. Sometimes, if the people at the wine tasting are really posh, they might call it 'The Nose'.

Still holding your glass in the correct manner, lower your hand somewhat whilst bring your glass to a level position and rotate your wrist so that the wine swirls gently within the bowl. You might want to leave these instructions at this point to go to the kitchen and practise this step with a wineglass half filled with water. After all, it's just as well to know for sure that you aren't going to spill expensive red wine over your hostess's spanking new Axminster.

To swill wine properly, very little wrist movement is actually needed. Just very slight circular movements combined with a right-left movement should do the trick.

The idea behind all this swilling is to bring the wine's aroma out of the wine itself and into the empty part of the bowl thus allowing it to be smelled and savoured. This is why wine glasses are bulbous. The wide bowl has ample room for swilling while the narrow edge 'captures' the bouquet. Clever, eh?

Move your glass to your nose as elegantly as you're able and bring it in slightly beneath the tip. Inhale deeply. Savour for a few moments and then inhale again. It's a good idea to exhale between those two inhalations or you might find yourself going dizzy. Do it too often and you'll faint.

You may now move your glass away from your nose.

At this point, it's appropriate to make some kind of comment. Don't imagine you'll fool anybody into believing you're an expert but at least you can make it sound as if you've actually drunk a glass of decent wine before. Why should the other guests need to know that most of your wine costs £3.99 at the Co-Op?

Something like "mmmm, rich and fruity" or "oooh, lovely and light" will probably do the trick. When talking about red wine, 'rich' is usually a good word to use - if the wine's white, go for 'light'.

The Actual Tasting

You've probably been looking forward to this bit but whatever you do, remember that wine tasting is about taking small sips and not guzzle it down like there's no tomorrow.

This bit's actually trickier than you'd expect so you might want to do some more practising.

Bring your glass to your lips, open them slightly and take a small sip. Now close you mouth and roll the wine around on your tongue for a few seconds before allowing it to slide slowly down your throat AND AT THE SAME TIME EXHALE!

The trouble with exhaling whilst swallowing is that some of the liquid might come shooting through your nostrils. Not a pretty sight and, again, think of the Axminster!

If you fancy, you can always take a second sip at this point but never a third. No matter how good that one particular wine is, it's time to move on to the next.

Other Stuff Worth Knowing

Apart from bottles and glasses, the table will probably hold plates of cheese or, occasionally, sherbet. They're not there to snack on; they're used between wines to clean out the taste of the last wine you tasted. Just a little at a time is all that's needed. Do like a mouse and nibble!

Wear something comfortable and preferably something that doesn't carry a designer label. After all, if you spill red wine down the front of your best frock, you're not going to be happy, are you?

That's it. You're now clued up enough to pop along to your very first wine tasting party without making a complete idiot of yourself.

Enjoy!

Choosing Wine on a First Date

2007-08-22T12:22:00.000-07:00

First Dates are nerve wracking enough without having to worry about what wine to choose to impress your new friend!

One of the great things about wine on a date is that one bottle is a defined amount, normally about five glasses. If shared equally it is unlikely that you will fall off your chair drunk after half a bottle of wine!

However, there are some other social sins that can be committed whilst choosing wine on a date.

Getting Started

First, you need to decide whether you want white, red, rosé or sparkling wine. This is perhaps the most important decision. As a general rule, red wine is more of an acquired taste and it can be harder to select a good red. Therefore, when you do not know your companion's tastes it may be wise to steer clear of the red wine section.

Sparkling wine can make you appear a little pretentious or if you go for a cheaper version, a tightwad; so this is usually best avoided. If you are not sure whether your companion likes wine at all, rosé wine is often a safe option as it often lacks the sharpness that people commonly dislike in wines.

How Much to Spend?

Remember more money doesn't always mean more quality. If you are very new to wine, go for a house white. A house white is unlikely to be extremely imaginative or unusual, but is almost always perfectly drinkable. For this reason it is a safe, middle of the road option.

If you want to impress, look for something other than the house white. Keep away from extremes until you know your companion a little better, so don't go for bone dry whites. Instead, opt for a fruity dry wine that appeals to those who like both dry and medium whites.

Whilst neutral wines may seem like a bit of a cop-out, bear in mind that you simply want a drinkable wine that does not offend.

If you are really not sure what to choose, why not offer your companion a choice of glasses as an aperitif while you have a beer or spirit. This way you can judge your companion's taste. Even if they select a spirit, you can still get a measure of whether they prefer sweet or dry wines.

Of course, you could always give your companion the choice…

Marketing wine on the Internet

2007-08-22T12:08:00.000-07:00

The Australian Wine industry is experiencing a tough time as oversupply of product is creating downward pressure on prices. Large producers have had their well publicised problems, leading to merger and takeover activity. Small and medium producers are feeling the pinch.
Over the past twelve months I have discussed internet marketing with quite a number of smaller winery operators. The overwhelming experience seems to be "We have a web site but it doesn't generate any sales."

This experience mirrors that of other small business where the overwhelming majority fail to get significant benefit from their Internet presence. During the research I conducted as background to developing my own website I have visited several hundred wine related sites. It is not hard to see why they are not succeeding in generating sales.
Despite this gloomy record I feel that the Internet has lots to offer small to medium wineries in their marketing efforts. Some people are making sales through the internet: the challenge for the others is to get their sites going.
Small and medium wineries have several advantages that they can exploit to enhance their sales. Many are growing alternative varieties, and thus have a natural point of difference to build their marketing around.
Tourism is a booming industry and wine is an integral part of the tourist experience in most regions. An intelligent and integrated approach can exploit powerful marketing synergies.
For several reasons the Australian wine industry stands to reap great benefits from the internet, at least for those who are able to use it effectively.
My optimism is based on several emerging trends
1. There is obviously a much greater volume of wine being produced, both by the big wineries and the plethora of small and medium producers, new and old. The success the export trade has thus far kept problems of oversupply to a minimum, but the environment for marketing Australian wine is certainly becoming much more competitive.
2. There is increased diversity in the wine produced in Australia. New varieties have been introduced into emerging regions, the Rhone varieties into the Nagambie Lakes region and the Italian varieties into the King Valley, to name just the more prominent.
3. A growing number of consumers are looking for something new. There is a limit to how many marginally different chardonnays or shirazes they can drink and still remain interested.
4. Wine consumers are faced with more choice which is driving a thirst for knowledge about new wine experiences.
5. The Internet is primarily an information distributing medium, and consumers seek information about wine more than most other products
6. E-commerce is growing as more consumers are becoming comfortable with the internet. Warning! There is much more to e-commerce than having a website with attractive graphics. Too many businesses are overspending and underacheiving on the internet.
7. There is still a wide gap between those are producing something new and those who want to find something new.

Like any transforming technology the effects of the internet will take many years to unfold. There are hundreds of lessons still to be learnt. But with persistence, some Australian wineries will gain great benefits from marketing their wine on the web.

Professional Wine Making Tips

2007-08-22T11:53:00.000-07:00

Wine making is an easy, cost-efficient way to stock up on your favorite vintages. Although the wine-making process is fairly simple, it’s important to follow the steps carefully to ensure you don’t miss any elements. These steps will be crucial to the success of your batch.

Once you’ve decided to make a batch of wine, the first thing to consider is the equipment needed. The following is a list of the wine making equipment required to make a basic batch of red wine:

• Large nylon straining bag
• Cloth (any kind will do)
• Large pail (with a lid)
• Hydrometer
• Thermometer
• Acid titration kit
• Clear, bendable plastic tubing (a half inch in diameter)
• Two, one gallon glass jugs
• Corks
• Hand corker
• Fermentation lock and bung
• Wine bottles (between 5 and 7)

After you’ve assembled the necessary equipment, just follow these easy steps and you’ll produce a great batch of wine in practically no time at all:

1. Prepare the Produce – First, inspect the fruit to ensure the grapes are ripe and free of insects or other contaminants. Put the grapes in the straining bag and measure the sugar level using your hydrometer. A hydrometer can be purchased at any wine making store. The sugar density should be 22 ideally. Also, remember to remove the stems from all grapes in order to make your wine smoother and sweeter. Finish this step by transferring the ingredients into the jug.

2. Adjust the Juice – This is a crucial step in the wine-making process. You must measure the acid content using your titration kit. The ideal level is 6 to 7 grams per liter for red wine and 6.5 to 7.5 per liter for white wine. You’ll want to regulate the sugar level by measuring it with your hydrometer from time to time. Sugar levels should remain at 22 for both red and white wines. The fermentation should remain around 70-degrees-Fahrenheit for basic red wines. Abiding by these temperatures will ensure that the process goes smoothly.
3. Rack the Wine – Insert your clear plastic hose into the wine jug and attach it to the opening of the other (empty) sanitized jug. Siphon the wine from one jug to the other in order to keep the wine in a completely sanitized container. Next, fit the jug with a bung and fermentation lock. This step may take some time, but it’s important to be slow and careful so you don’t stir up the sediment. Let the wine sit for an extended period of time (some people choose to wait weeks or even months).
4. Bottle the Wine – Bottling your wine is the easy part. Simply siphon your wine from the jug into your wine bottles. Be sure to leave about 2-inches at the top of every bottle, otherwise it will cause overflow when the cork is inserted. To cork your wine bottles simply insert a cork into the hand corker, position the corker over the lever and insert.

5. Drink and Enjoy!

Blended and varietal wines.

2007-08-22T11:30:00.000-07:00

Novice wine lovers soon come across the concept of blended and varietal wines. The two questions that spring to mind are, “what does it mean?” and “does it matter?”

At the basic level, the difference is quite simple. Varietal wines are made from a single grape variety, while blended wines are made using two or more. The most obvious example is the difference between the two great red wine styles of France. Burgundy red wine is composed of the single variety Pinot noir. Bordeaux red wines are most often blends of up to five varieties, Cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit verdot. There are a few Bordeaux wines made from a single variety, but they are the exceptions that prove the rule.

So much for theory. The distinction between varietal and blended wines is less clear in practice. Many varietal wines are made from blends of wine grown in several regions. Australia’s iconic Grange is such an example. Each year hundreds of samples from many vineyards are tasted and evaluated before the final blend is decided upon. The result is a blend of regions, rather than varieties.

Many more modest Australian wines with lesser claims to fame are also regional blends. The process of selecting the blend is similar but much more simplified. The clue on the label is often the words “wine of South Eastern Australia”. This is almost as general a statement that you can get about the origins of an Australian wine.

Some wines made from a single variety are blends of several different vintages, but this is quite rare for table wines.

While on the topic of labels, you should be aware that many wines bearing a single varietal name can legally contain up to fifteen percent of other varieties. If the wine is labelled as a blend, then the variety with the largest percentage composition should be named first, for example wine labelled Cabernet Merlot, should contain a greater percentage of Cabernet than of Merlot.

Our second question is “does it matter?” Well, if you find a wine that you enjoy and it is a blend, then you should continue to drink it. However if you wish to extend your wine knowledge and thus enhance your wine experience you should try varietal wines whenever possible. There are hundreds of varietal wines available, each with a special subtle difference waiting for you to discover.

2007-08-22T11:16:00.000-07:00

Introduction to Wine

What is wine?

Wine has been made for centuries from just a two simple ingredients: yeast and grape juice. Actually, just about any fruit juice can be used, but by far the majority of all wine is made from the juice of the grape.

How is wine made?

Yeast is the magical ingredient that turns grape juice into wine. Interestingly enough, there is actually wild yeast spores in the air and all that is really needed to make wine is an open container of grape juice and time. The result however, would probably not be the most palatable of beverages.

There are numerous strains of yeasts and the types used to make wine have been cultured just for this purpose. Well anyway, yeast is a living organism that feeds off of sugars in the grape juice in a process called fermentation.

During fermentation, yeast spores will reproduce exponentially until all of the fermentable sugars have been consumed. During this fermentation process, the sugars are converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide.

The yeast will also impart a taste to the finished wine depending on various factors such as the strain of yeast used, the temperature during fermentation and other factors.

Once all of the fermentable sugars have been consumed, the yeast will fall to the bottom of the container. The wine is removed from the container, leaving the yeast, and is trasferred to another container to mature while waiting to be bottled.

Of course, this whole process has been extremely simplified for a general understanding.

How does wine get its color?

You probably know that there are green grapes and black grapes and different grapes are used to make different wines.

What you might not know is that almost all grape juice (even from the black grapes) is basically colorless to golden in color.

The way a wine gets its color is by letting the skins soak in the juice during fermentation. You can actually make white wine from black grapes by not letting the skins stay in contact with the juice. Champagne is one of the most famous examples.

If the skins are left in the wine for only a short amount of time, a rose (or blush) will be made. If they are left for an extended amount of time, a dark red wine will be the result.

What gives each wine its taste?

Even though there are very few ingredients, there are many things which influence the taste of wine. First of all, there are many varieties of grapes. Each grape variety will produce different flavors, aromas, and even textures.

In addition, the soil and climate where the grapes are grown drastically affect these variables.

Not only that, but the wine maker can control various things by the technique, temperature and yeast used during fermentation. Other variables such as fermenting or storing in oak barrels will also affect the taste.

Never fear, with all of these factors considered even the most avid wine drinker would ever be able to experience all of the different varieties of wine on the market today. Let the treasure hunting begin!

What is tannin?

Tannin is a substance in wine that causes a firm, mouth-drying feeling in your mouth. It is extracted from the skins, seeds and stems of the grapes so red wines will contain more tannin than whites.

White wines will get a degree of tannin when oak barrels are used for fermentation or aging. Eat just the skins of grapes or drink strongly brewed, unsweetened tea for a good idea of what tannin feels like in your mouth.

What are sulfites?

By law, almost all wine made in the United States will have “Contains Sulfites” on the label. This is because about very small percentage of asthma sufferers can be extremely sensitive to sulfites.

Sulfites or sulfur dioxide is a compound occurring naturally during the fermentation process. Sometimes, though a wine maker will add a little more because of its antibacterial and preservative qualities. White wines have more sulfites than red wines because they need more protection.