Fine Wine

Kevin P Smith asked:


Buying wine online is a great way to buy wine, giving you the chance to take your time to browse, finding unusual wines and getting them delivered straight to your door.

You can order fine wines online, and get a wine delivery to your door in two days.

Although you can’t taste them online, you can see the wines, and order them in a few clicks.

You can get wines from virtually anywhere in the world. Wines from Argentina, Australia, Austria, Chile, England & Wales, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, USA are just a few examples.

Your wine delivery can be a case of wine or bottles of wine, delivered to your door. Many wine delivery websites come with some sort of guarantee of your satisfaction (e.g. partial refund) with your online wine purchase.

Browsing wine delivery websites can be a mouth-watering experience, as you make your way through the extensive ranges of fine wines on offer.

Many wine delivery websites offer a gifting service for special occasions. With your choice of wine you can select a gift box, enter a gift message and the wine will be delivered in beautiful presentation to the lucky recipient. Wine delivery services are usually very professional, door to door to ensure your complete satisfaction.

Some wine delivery websites help you keep track of your likes and dislikes, so that you know what to re-order when your first case has reached the last bottle.

Buying wine online really is a great way to buy wine. You can take your time to browse websites, finding wines that you are not going to find in your local supermarket or off licence. This widens your choice. Find some hidden gems and keep track of those you like the best. And instead of lugging cases or bottles from shop to car, let someone else do the hard work, and bring the wine direct to your front door.

Whether it’s white, red or rosé you like, or rich, fruity, dry or sparkling, the choice is yours when you order wine online.



Dixon

Levi Reiss asked:


If you are in the mood for fine French wine and food, why not consider the Rhone Valley region of southeastern France? You may find a bargain, and I hope that you’ll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour in which we review a Crozes-Hermitage red wine from the northern Rhone Valley.

Among France’s eleven wine-growing regions the Rhone Valley ranks second in acreage. The region extends 125 miles (200 kilometers) along the Rhone River. This region is actually composed of two parts, the north and the south whose wines tend to be quite different. The northern Rhone Valley is quite narrow. Its major red grape variety is Syrah, while its major white variety is Viognier. The northern Rhone Valley produces some of the best red wines in all France, and according to its fan club, some of the best red wines on earth. The southern Rhone Valley produces about 95% of the Rhone Valley wines. This is the kingdom of grape blending. For example the famous Chateauneuf-Du-Pape AOC wine may contain a maximum of thirteen different grape varieties.

Vienne, population about thirty thousand, was a major town in Roman Gaul and still retains a lot of its history and its charm. Near the river you’ll find the Romanesque church of St-Pierre already rebuilt in the Ninth Century. The Gothic Cathedral of St-Maurice was built during the Eleventh to Sixteenth Centuries and largely destroyed in a religious war during the mid-Sixteenth Century. Rue des Orf?es (Goldsmiths’ Street) is filled with Renaissance buildings and the Romanesque church St-Andre-le-Bas (St. Andrew the Lesser).

Vienne’s Theatre Romain (Roman Theater) is one of the largest in France; it spans almost 450 feet (140 meters) and once held thirteen thousand spectators. Excavation started only in 1922. This theater hosts a great jazz festival in July. Other Roman ruins include the Temple d’Auguste et de Livie (Temple of Augustus and Livia) erected by the Emperor Claudius and the Plan de l’Aiguille (Needle Tower), a truncated pyramid that was once part of a Roman circus. Some say that this structure encloses the tomb of Pontius Pilate.

Before reviewing the Cotes du Rhone wine and imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region. Start with Foie Gras avec Gelee de Viognier (Goose Liver Pate with Viognier Jelly). As your second course savor Chevreau a l’Ail et Herbes Sauvages (Baby Goat with Garlic and Wild Herbs). And for dessert indulge yourself with Granite aux Pommes et Calvados (Apple and Calvados Ice).

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed Domaine du Colombier Crozes-Hermitage 2005 13% about $25

Let’s start by quoting the marketing materials. Until 1992, Florent Viale and his father sold all of their grapes to negociants. As Crozes-Hermitage came into its own, the Viales decided to make their own wines. The results have been nothing short of spectacular. Layers of blackberry, tar and black pepper dominate their finely made Syrah-based wines. A very good match for roast leg of lamb.

My first meal was a barbecue including a rib steak marinated in a homemade ketchup-based sauce with chunks of garlic, corn on the cob, and red-skinned potatoes. The wine was powerful and mouth-filling. It was quite long and had no trouble maintaining its flavors. I didn’t used to be a fan of tannins but these Crozes-Hermitage tannins melted in my mouth along with the meal.

My next meal involved a combination of marinated barbecued beef and veal ribs, red-skinned potatoes, and a garlic-based Moroccan salad. First I tried the more subtle veal ribs. The Crozes-Hermitage was very powerful with a lot of tobacco. While this wine was very powerful it complemented the veal very well. The taste of dark fruit was predominant with the beef ribs. While there was quite a change in the wine, with both types of ribs it was simply great. Dessert consisted of blueberry fruit juice candy. I was somewhat surprised but the wine was a good accompaniment. I tasted blackberries in the wine.

I know how much this wine likes beef and veal, so I decided to try it with barbecued chicken marinated in a commercial Mediterranean-style light sauce. The wine was careful not to overwhelm the meat. Once again the meal included barbecued red-skinned potatoes and this time, perhaps because the meat was subtler, the potatoes had more effect bringing out the earthiness of the wine. Interestingly enough the intensive Turkish Salad was the least successful accompaniment to the wine. One might have expected the contrary, namely, that the greatest pairing success would be with the strongest tasting component. The Turkish Salad and Crozes-Hermitage combination was good, it just wasn’t as good as the other pairings in this meal.

The first cheese was a mild-tasting Italian Pecorino Fruilano. This wine is so fine that even though the cheese flattened it somewhat, it remained excellent. But believe me, I won’t subject the wine to such an indignity again. The second cheese was a nutty tasting Dutch Edam. This more powerful cheese had less of a flattening effect on the wine. Go figure.

Final verdict. This wine is a definite winner. I went back to my previous article describing a Rhone Valley wine: I Love French Wine And Food – A Red Cotes du Rhone to refresh my memory. I was very happy with that much more modest wine, priced at about half of this one. Is the Crozes-Hermitage better? Yes. Is it twice as good? That’s a hard question. It really depends on how you view wines. The Crozes-Hermitage is definitely a fine wine for its price range, as was the other. I am definitely tempted to taste a Rhone Valley red wine in the $50 range. But I can’t promise you when. Perhaps what I should do is buy a case of this Crozes-Hermitage and drink one a year and see if the critics are right when they say it can be cellared for many, many years.



Mark

Fiona Muller asked:


There are many wine writers and wine competitions throughout the world, all of them rate wines by scores out of 10, 20 or 100 or by awarding stars or medals. These medals are given by experts of wine who taste the product using a blind tasting method. The results of the tasting determine which wines are judged as being of particularly high quality. The Gold Medal Wines have been declared by the panel to be particularly good examples of wine using the grape and from the area they have been produced in.

One of the foremost of these competitions is the International Wine Challenge, which is an annual competition held in London. No less than 9,300 wines from 35 countries were reviewed in 2007, judged by a panel of 400 experts from 19 countries and the resulting winners are awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze medals. A total of 260 gold medals were awarded in 2007 (representing 2.8% of entries). 1,129 wines won silver medals (12.1 per cent) and bronze medals were awarded to 1,839 wines. Other prestigious competitions are held in Macon, Paris, Brussels and Vienna. If you think you prefer the same tastes and flavour components as the experts, why not use the guide of medal winners to guide your decision.

But where can you get your hands on bottles of Gold Medal winning quality?

One of the best ways of picking up a gold medal wine is to look for it online. Independent online retailers are able to buy directly from smaller wine producers and are therefore able to get their hands on more sought after vintages and fine wines.

But just because it has a Gold Medal does not mean that it has to cost the Earth. Some medal winners come in at about £6 a bottle. A great deal on a wine that comes recommended by impartial experts.

Using an online wine retailer means that you will be able to spot the gold medal wines immediately – there is a section on the pages telling you what awards the wine has won – something to look out for is that some of the wines have won more than once. Surely if a wine can win more than one competition you have to be onto a good thing.

But remember the golden rule of wine, just because it has won copious awards doesn’t mean you will like it, if it is a style of wine that doesn’t suit your tongue. Stick to types of wine you usually like and then look for the ones which have won medals. That way you know you will like it and you never know, it might just blow you away with its fantastic taste and smell – there’s something really special about the unique subtleties of medal winning wines.

Why not take a look at the gold medal wines available from an independent online retailer? For more information on competition winners and Gold Medal wines go to Laithwaites.



Calvin

John Wineberger asked:


If you have never considered a wine gift as a present, then maybe you should start. A fine bottle of wine is always well received and is perfect for any occasion or situation. People have been giving wine gifts for a very long time and today this age old custom is alive and well. As long as the intended recipient is over the legal age for alcohol consumption, you are nearly always guaranteed to make someone happy by giving wine as a gift.

Wine Gift Baskets Ideas

Wine gift baskets are becoming very popular as gifts for wine lovers or anyone for that matter. The makeup of the basket usually depends on the taste of the recipient, the price and your budget. A good gift basket should contain at least two bottles of wine and a nice selection of appetizers to match the wines. Red wines are usually paired with chocolates, spreads accompanied by somewhat unusual crackers will tend to match chardonnay and fine cheese and fruit for more light and fruity wines. If you want to add a personal touch to your wine gift, but don’t know what to include, just head down to your liquor store and start asking questions.

Chosen Wine for The Month

If you want to get creative and give a gift that keeps giving, then why not try a membership in a wine of the month club? This is a wonderful gift, especially for a wine lover. Every month, the recipient will receive a different type of wine that has been pre-selected by you. Wine gifts like these will usually set you back around $100.00 to $300.00 depending on your wine selection. You will have the option to select white or red wines or a combination of both. If the person receiving the wine finds something to their taste, they will also have the opportunity to re-order the same wine as many times as they like through the club.

Wine Gift Mixture

If you think that one or even two bottles will not make that much of an impression, then why not give an entire case. The important thing to remember is that wine will always be well appreciated and can easily used as a stand alone gift.

Selecting The Wine

Giving a vintage wine as a git could be more appropriate for a lover of fine wines or even a connoisseur. However it would be very wise for you to taste the wine beforehand to make sure that you are really getting what you are actually paying for.

Vintage wines are nearly always presented in their own wooden wine gift box and if you are lucky enough, it will also be paired with a little booklet giving you some facts about the origins and a brief history of the wine. If this is not the case, you can always search for the wine on the Internet and hopefully come up with a little bit of background that you will be able to share with the person that the wine gift is intended for.

If you have really put an extra effort in getting that special bottle of wine, like driving to a winery that is miles out of town, you should let the person receiving the gift know about your little story. If they are wine lovers, chances are that they will find your story very interesting and even want to make the trip themselves if the wine impresses them.



Archibald

MIKE SELVON asked:


Investments come in many different forms, such as stocks and bonds, race horses, baseball cards and many others. When looking to start an investment in something, it is always best to think slightly out of the box.

If you want to invest in something that will be fun and laid back, then consider investing in fine wines. The best wines command high prices, especially if they have aged over a number of years. This article will teach you how to invest in wine efficiently.

Before you start purchasing any ol’ bottle of wine you will want to learn everything you can about wine. There are a few ways you can go about this. You can choose to do it on your own. Gather up some books and learn the basics on how vintage wines are made, everything from genetics of the vine to the climate.

All of this will be important when choosing your fine wines. You can also employ the expertise of someone called a sommelier, which is a person who purchases high-end wines for restaurants and clubs. Having a sommelier at your beck and call can be handy after you have begun investing as well.

Once you have retained all of the knowledge you feel you will need to be successful in investing in fine wines, you can then move on. You can choose to travel to different wineries or simply investigate them by phone or online. By doing this you will learn all about their reputations as well as their quality of vintage wine.

This should help you choose which area you will be collecting from and investing in. It is best to stick with one area so that you can become an expert. Consider investing in wine from outside the country, such as French wines. Of course you won’t be traveling to France, or will you?

Just like with every other kind of investment, investing in fine wines requires you to take caution in certain areas. If a wine has a high price tag, it doesn’t necessarily mean it is a vintage quality wine; it may just be popular at the moment.

This doesn’t mean it isn’t worth investing in; it just depends on your tastes. Also remember that many new wines are not meant to be aged, and may only last for a year or two. Once you notice all of these things and learn what you can, you will be on your way to a great wine investment!



Joe

Eat Fish asked:


I’m pretty savvy in that department, but my problem is that more and more I find myself drinking (or at least tasting) different wine almost every day so I can have personal knowledge of it. I’m afraid I may be developing a problem because now I do it on my days off, too!
Of course I know not to swallow it all the time, but we have wine reps, influential guests who insist I share a glass with them (after I talked them into spending $300.00 on it). I guess you are not getting me…

Ferguson

Rozzie asked:


My dad’s BMI is 39.2, meaning he is VERY unhealthy. He doesn’t eat sweets, chips, etc, etc, so I’m trying to find out what makes him fat.
He shares a bottle of champagne with my mother occasionally, and a bottle of wine, and then two or three beers. Can someone tell me how much impact does that have on your diet?

Edmund

Thomas Pretty asked:


Tuscany is a truly fascinating region of Italy that has been inhabited for centuries. It was inhabited by the Etruscans, Romans and was a centre of the Renaissance. Finding hotels in this region makes touring the province simple and as one of the largest repositories of art in the world, the chance to see some of the seminal artistic pieces in history is an opportunity not to be missed.

Tuscany is not however just about art, tourists will enjoy touring the outstanding scenery and those who love the finer things in life will be satisfied by the simple yet ultimately sumptuous local cuisine and wines; with a wealth of hotels you will not be stuck for somewhere to stay.

Naturally Florence is the first location that comes to mind when thinking of Tuscany. This is where the art works of Michelangelo and Da Vinci are kept as well as many others. There are paintings, all manner of sculptures and frescoes, not too mention the magnificent architecture. The city itself however is a bit of a honey trap for tourists, full of overpriced and busy hotels. A better solution is to find hotels in the surrounding area. This has two major benefits; firstly you will be away from the hustle and bustle of the city and secondly you will be able to wake up in the awe inspiring countryside of Tuscany.

The countryside of Tuscany is truly spectacular. With rolling hills dotted with farm hotels and small villages. The chance to tour the fields lined with poplar trees in the warm breeze should not be passed up. Whether a keen biker or walker, the countryside in Tuscany will fulfil your requirements, clearly you do not have to visit the cities to enjoy your holiday in Tuscany.

For those who like to pamper themselves there are many spa hotels in Tuscany that make ideal relaxation locations. With a wealth of mineral and spa waters in this region of Italy, healthcare has become an increasingly large part of the Tuscan tourism industry. Some of these spa hotels and resorts are world renowned and have built up reputations over the last century. The thermal waters and their benefits were realised by the Romans and there is no reason for you not realise them either. If visiting the cities, a spa bath at the end of the day is the perfect way to relax and rejuvenate yourself for the next day’s sightseeing.

Of the cities there is obviously Florence but of equal worth is Pisa. More than just the location of the famous leaning tower, it has wondrous architecture and fine hotels that make a brilliant romantic excursion. Another city of note is Siena; this medieval city has many exquisite examples of houses and towers while as with much of Tuscany, art plays a major part in the attractions located within the city. For an understanding of the Etruscan culture Volterra should be visited; with a fabulous selection of Etruscan cinerary urns and other sarcophagi, the views of this ancient people are displayed in terms of life, art and death.

Tuscany truly is place to visit for all seasons and has a wealth of attractions that will give all visitors something worthwhile to gain from their trip. With many brilliant hotels in the region ranging from large modern city hotels to medieval town houses and fine country villas; no matter what type of trip you are planning Tuscany will satisfy your needs. So think about sitting on a warm Tuscan evening enjoying the famous meat dishes with a glass of Chianti in your hand; with flights as cheap as they are presently, the dream could become a reality easier than you think.



Sherwin

Onarga Roberts asked:


I have seen Mike Ditka wine before, so I wondered if there was a wine out there that had some sort of yankee theme to it. My father in law is a huge yankee and wine fine so if there is one, I would love to be able to order it for him.

Dillon