Facts
The Rule of Thumb
Before thermometers were invented, winemakers and brewers would dip a thumb or finger into the liquid to determine the ideal temperature, either too hot or too cold, for adding yeast. That is supposedly where we get the phrase "rule of thumb."
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Decoding Champagne Wine Bottle Sizes & Names.
It was the French Benedictine monk Dom Perignon (1638-1715) who proclaimed, “Come quickly! I am drinking stars!”, (NB: probably because Champagne makes everyone yell silly things) so it makes perfect sense that the range of Champagne bottles take their names from figures inspired by the bible. Before we get started, it’s worth pointing out that apart from magnum and jeroboam, very few of these names are ever been used seriously. However, I always seem to…
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Understanding the Wine Term: Meritage
Meritage has to be one of the most misunderstood and mispronounced wine words in the world. With that being said, let’s get the pronunciation out of the way first: “MARE-eh-tidge” is correct, and “MARE-eh-targe” is not. First trademarked in 1988, the term Meritage is given to American blended wines that use the traditional grapes of the Bordeaux region of France. The word was chosen from more than 6,000 entries in an international contest. Meritage combines…
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John Wesley
John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist church, once said that "wine is the noblest cordial of nature". He did take a harsher view toward distilled beverages such as brandy and whisky, proclaiming that distillers who sold indiscriminately to anyone were nothing more than poisoners and murderers accursed by God. Way to choose your battles!
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Stages of Sparkling Wine Production.
(click image for larger view)
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What Your New Year Wine Resolutions Should Be…
Drink more bubbles. Self explanatory… Give Riesling a chance. It ain’t all as sweet as you think! Buy at least one bottle of wine each month from a grape, or region that you’re not familiar with. Open your mind! Do a little research on a wine before or after you drink it. I’m here to help! Buy from small, local, independent wine retailers. Will their prices be a few $’s more expensive? Maybe. Will you…
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4 Wine Descriptors I Hate.
“Four? That’s a random number!” Why would he choose four!?!?” Because I couldn’t think of a fifth one, ok!!! Give me a break!!! Truth be told, I could have probably included more, but what is about to follow are the four I hear the most….but first…a short prologue… Working in a wine bar, I’m constantly approached by Servers with the same type of question: “Hey Kris…..I have this guy who’s looking for a red wine….
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A Guide to Alternative Investments…Wine Being One of Them!
5 Gift Ideas for a Wine Lover (and 5 to Avoid) – Part 2.
Following on from yesterday’s post, here are my 5 gift suggestions for a wine lover: A Good Wine Opener Every wine lover needs a decent wine bottle opener! It doesn’t have to be anything crazy; I know there’s a bunch of electric and even gas powered gimmicks on the market, but I personally like to keep it fairly simple! If you’re looking for a quality opener that combines form, function, and practicality, I recommend a…
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5 Gift Ideas for a Wine Lover (and 5 to Avoid) – Part 1
With Christmas being just around the corner, it seems that I’ve been getting asked daily as to what I would deem as a “good gift” for a wine lover. I originally started writing this article as just “5 Gift Ideas for a Wine Lover”, but then I realized that what’s even more important as what not to buy for a “wine aficionado”.This article is therefore a 2-parter. First, here are my suggestions on 5 wine…
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The R Word.
According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BAFT – United States), the word “refreshing” can’t be utilized when describing alcohol beverages.
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