Fine Wine

Kathleen Sullivan asked:


For many of us in the United States, spring has taken its time reaching us. The cruel fingers of winter have very slowly released their grip. Gentle warm breezes stir the foliage. With grapevines budding, birds singing and plants flowering, it is time to think of spending relaxing, free moments outdoors. Time spent outdoors is soothing for the soul. As Edward Fitzgerald said, “A book of verses underneath the bough, a jug of wine, a loaf of bread-and thou.”

Picnics, countryside walks or strenuous hikes can be relaxing, enjoyable and romantic with planning. A picnic can be a very spontaneous event as in a “pick up and go” style. Throw a few items in a bag and pick up a blanket on the way out the door. However, if you will be traveling any distance or over rough terrain, it is better to have a plan. Decide where you are going and discover the regulations regarding picnicking and beverages. Skyline Drive, in Shenandoah National Park, permits alcoholic beverages in many areas unless posted otherwise. Check the weather forecasts and make accommodations if necessary. Choose how to pack supplies, food and wine. There are many choices available whether baskets or picnic/wine carriers.

One item that many wine enthusiasts would enjoy is the wine backpack or the picnic backpack that will hold a wine bottle and wine glasses. Our preference for these types of items is to make sure they are lightweight especially if you are planning to walk far or hike uphill. There are a number of good backpacks and you will find one that meets your needs. If you decide to order online, do check out reviews on the item. It is always good to get someone else’s opinion. We prefer a backpack that has room for plates, utensils, cutting board, wine glasses, napkins, wine and food.

Things to consider when purchasing a good picnic/wine carrier include: size, weight, comfort, and cold storage. Backpacks often include place settings for two or four. Check to see if there is room for additional settings. Consider the weight of the picnic/wine carrier if you are hiking for an extended period. Carrying extra weight can tire you out quickly. Check to see if the straps on the picnic/wine carrier fit comfortably. Can you adjust the straps in case you need to wear a jacket? Will the picnic/wine carrier allow you to keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot?

In addition to picnic supplies, there are other items to carry. Think of packing sunscreen and mosquito repellent. Bottled water may be needed while hiking long distances, along rugged terrain, up elevations and down slopes. Take a camera so you can take memories back with you. Last spring and summer, we enjoyed lunch on a rock. In late April the trek to Marys Rock in Shenandoah National Park was difficult but worth it because it had an outstanding view. Only one other hiker was perched between rocks reading a book. We had our lunch on a rock and enjoyed the views. Our lunch was simple with two types of cheese, crackers and a Pinot Grigio. It was the perfect setting to watch birds flying below you, take photographs and feel a constant breeze. The scenery was breathtaking and the solitude was uplifting.

In August, we hiked up Maryland Heights at Harper’s Ferry National Park. It was a hot day and water breaks along the way helped us make it to the rocks for a spectacular view of the Potomac River and the town of Harper’s Ferry. We enjoyed crackers and cheese with a picnic red wine. There was plenty of room to find a rock and spread out. This area was busier than Marys Rock however there was plenty of room with unobstructed views.

Everyone has different ideas of where to walk, hike and picnic. Choose your favorite spot and enjoy.

Tip:

Our experience has been that picnic/wine backpacks and baskets sell out quickly. If you plan to purchase a basket or carrier for this summer, buy one soon.



Lucas

Holly Cox asked:


, my son and daughter-in-law bought me a bath tray designed to hold a book, a glass of wine, and anything else that might add to the experience of indulging in a long, hot soak. On days when I’m running on empty, needing some “me” time, and craving a little bit of pampering, I select a great book to read, pour myself a glass of LA FANTAS? (”Fantasy”) dessert wine from the Castello di Amorosa Winery in Napa Valley, lay one piece of Godiva Chocolate on my tray, fill the tub with steaming hot water, drop in a fragrant LUSH BATH BOMB, and slip into my own silky, scented oasis. After allowing myself this retreat from the cares, concerns, and demands of daily life, I feel recharged, energized, and ready to take on the world. Try this tip for yourself when you feel the need for a little rest and relaxation! You’ll never want to get out of the tub! If you want to make yourself a priority in your own life, you need to learn to pamper yourself. At least once a week, treat yourself to a relaxing bubble bath, a massage, candlelight, soft music, a manicure, pedicure, or whatever takes your fancy. The following ten products are sure to put a smile on your face and give you a sense of renewal to approach the next day with enthusiasm and vitality.

1. Pink Ladies Gift Set by LUSH COSMETICS

Toss a bath bomb in the tub, watch it fizz, and then sit back, relax, and enjoy!

2. Ocean Salt Cleanser by LUSH COSMETICS

This smells terrific, and makes your skin feel like satin!

3. Gensen No Tanoshimi Hot Springs Bath Salts Assortment

You?ll feel like you?re bathing in Japanese Hot Springs!

4. Silk Shake Sugar Cookie Bubbling Milk Bath by Bidwell Botanicals

It?s as yummy as it sounds!

5. Molton Brown Inspiring Wild Indigo Bath and Shower

Anything from Molton Brown will make you feel like a pampered princess!

6. Spa Sister Ultra Moisturizing Lavender Foot Butter with Olive Oil & Shea Butter

You?re feet are saying ?YES” already!

7. Bliss Super-Spaah Set

You?ll feel the bliss as soon as you try it.

8. Spa Magazine

Inspire yourself with a little light reading.

9. Serendipity 3 Frrrozen Hot Chocolate Gift Box

For the chocolate lover in you!

10. Spa Sister Overnight Foot Saver Kit 3 Piece Set

Wake up to baby soft feet!

Copyright © 2008 by Holly Cox, L.C. P.C., C.D.C.®



Connor

Matthew N asked:


I’m still considered a minor, but I’m very curious about the taste of fine wines. My mother has offered to let me take a sip of what she orders when we dine on special occasions, but I’m not sure.

Drake

Levi Reiss asked:


Some of you may know me from my wine article series “I Love Italian Wine and Food,” similar French and German series, and travel articles that always manage to discuss local wine and food. It’s true; I really do love wine and food from Italy, France, Germany, and other countries as well. But I also **** wine and many aspects of the wine scene. Let me explain my top ten reasons for this love-hate relationship.

The unconscionable expense. Don’t let anybody kid you. Good wine is expensive. Great wine is of course even more expensive. There are surely bargains out there, but finding them is like kissing scads of frogs to find a prince. You have to kiss a lot of frogs (yechh) before you get to kiss a prince. Believe it or not, I have absolutely no desire whatsoever to kiss any princes.

I do, however, want to drink fine wine. And I find that the more fine wine I drink, the more fine wine I want to drink. Before I started writing wine reviews, twenty dollars was more or less my limit for a bottle; now I almost feel like apologizing when I spend less than twenty. Having tasted some excellent wines in the forty-dollar range, I am dying to know how sixty-dollar wines taste. Needless to say, some of them will be disappointing. But in some ways it is worse to find an excellent sixty-dollar wine. As much as I want to, I can’t spend sixty dollars a bottle on a regular basis.

My wife gave me her generous permission to buy a single one hundred dollar bottle of wine per year. Such a bottle will cost me at least two hundred dollars; my wife is not a wine lover, and in all fairness she will want a one hundred dollar item for herself. But that’s not the end of my wine expense problems. One of the most wine-savvy people I know recently described the pleasures of a $600 bottle of Chateau Petrus; a top of the line French red wine. I asked him if it was worth the money. His response was short and sweet, absolutely. I am still far from that stratospheric price point, but…

Here are the other reasons:

The embarrassing lack of knowledge

No wine cellar

I can’t get the … bottle opened

The insomnia

Food problems

Wine snobs

Those smells and those tastes

Those colors

Home brew

One more problem and yes

The Solution



Konrad

LAUGHING MAGPIE asked:


Members receive:
A segmented wine bags that holds 6 bags, 5% off each time you fill it.
Access to the expertise of our fully qualified sommelier.
Monthly meetings focusing on rare varietals, quirky winemakers and up and coming wine regions.
Monthly newsletter, including alerts of price and availability of products.
Gift certificate for 20% off next purchase by e-mail, valid for 1 month from your birthday.
Advance notice of up-coming tastings, winemaker’s dinners and local wine and vine events.
Correction: wine bags holds 6 bottles.
I like the deli / butcher idea, since we are in a hotel I have access to the chef. Food pairings!!

Dorian

David Feller asked:


Wine collector? Some things you should know

You can make money by storing wine. It has become very trendy and popular to have own and trade fine wines. Some of the best wines are made from Pinot Noir Grapes. Pinot noir thrives in France’s Burgundy region, particularly on the Côte-d’Or which has produced some of the world’s most celebrated wines for centuries. Burgundy wine is considered by some to be the finest wine because of the high quality Pinot Noir Grapes. They are also among the most expensive wines in the world. They can be described as varied, complex, human, and sophisticatedly homely. They are highly regarded because of historical tradition, and arguably because they transmit well the flavor of the land, what the French call terroir. Merlot is another type of wine derived from the merlot grapes its flavor that ranges from purple plums to red cherries. The best Merlot wine comes from Bordeaux, France and some Israeli-wines in the Middle East. In fact Merlot plantings in many vineyards around the world now outpace those of Cabernet Sauvignon.

In these type of wines can appreciate over time at a very high rate. One can make money, lots of money just by buying wine and waiting. Sounds easy? It isn’t.

Firstly you need to choose a wine that will age and improve with time. Some wines are so exquisite that just owning them without ever drinking them is enough. In fact the most expensive wine in the world if consumed would probably kill. That would be the 1787 Chateau Lafite Bordeaux that sold for $160,000. That would be about $40,000 a glass about $10,000 a gulp. That is if you were crazy enough to open and drink the wine. Even the best wine does not last more than 50 years. So you could buy a bottle of a 2001 Bordeaux for $200 and in 5 years the bottle could be worth $1,000. A great investment by any standard. That’s the relatively easy part. Buy the wine and then store it. Right? Wrong.

Storing wine is not as easy as it used to be. People often had natural cellars where wine could be stored away from sunlight in a cool damp place. This was optimum for the proper storage and aging of the wine. Those natural ways of storage are mostly unavailable and companies have even sprung up that imitate perfect wine storage conditions. They either sell small refrigerators or sell space in a large wine warehouses. These wine storage companies are doing brisk business as many investors are buying quality wines both for business and pleasure.

Bottom line it’s a great hobby that can make someone lots of money.



Trent

Mike Carraway asked:


What if you could create delicious, fine wines from the comfort of your own home? What if the wine you created tasted better than what you can buy at the store? What if I told you that this was not only possbile, but that the cost would be about a dollar a bottle?

The last bottle of wine I had cost me 90 cents. It was somewhere between a Merlot and a Cabernet in flavor, full bodied with a hint of blackberry. The best part was that I made it myself. I even bottled it in reused bottles and put my own label on it.

Are you ready to take a journey down the homemade wine path? Here’s how to make your own wine from simple household ingredients.

All you need to get started is a few things… a NEW plastic 2 gallon bucket, 5 12 ounce cans of fruit, a nylon stocking, some baker’s yeast, 4 cups of sugar, a few balloons, and enough empty pastic pop bottle to hold what you are going to make.

The first step is to clean and sanitize the bucket, the stocking, and a stirring utensil (a large spoon will do). These items must be very clean and sanitary.

Fill the bucket half full of warm water. Disolve the 4 cups of sugar into the water. Open the cans of fruit and, holding the stocking over the bucket, pour the fruit into the stocking. This could be pears, apricots, apples, grapes, or any other kind of fruit that you can buy canned. The fruit should be 100% fruit.

Tie the top of the stocking then drop it into the bucket. Use the spoon and mash up the fruit so that it gets squishy and pulpy. Swish and stir it to get as much of the fruit juice out of the stocking as possible.

Now, add the yeast by sprinkling it over the top of the bucket and give it a stir. Add enough water to the bucket so that it is 3/4 full. At this point, place a towel or some other loose covering over the bucket. All you have to do now is wait 7 days. Within 24 hours you should see the mixture start bubbling away! That is FERMENTATION happening.

At the end of 7 days, carefully, without disturbing the sediment in the bottom, pick up the nylon stocking and squeeze it out over the bucket. Let the bucket sit for another 24 hours.

Carefully pour the wine into the pop bottles. It should be relatively clear. Be sure not to get any of the sediment in the bottom of the bucket. Put a balloon over the top of each pop bottle and let sit for another week or two. At the end of the second week, you can pour the wine off the sediemtn that has formed in the bottom of the bottles and you should have very good, drinkable wine.

For more information on winemaking and hundreds of wine recipes, please go to HomeMadeWine4u.com.



Phineas

xolinds asked:


Can you give me your favorite

1. white wine, (one moderate and one high price)
2. red wine, (one moderate and one high price)

I would like this information for serving my guests at the fine dining rest. I work at which as a world class wine list since I am not a wine drinker.

Fabian

Nicholas Tan asked:


For any celebration or glorious moment in life, wine is essential to have.  Parties and celebrations are thought of as being incomplete unless there is wine present, which makes it an ideal gift for virtually any occasion.  Wine gift baskets are a great gift, they are very affordable, and perfect for nearly any occasion – such as birthdays, weddings, festivals, parties, or anniversaries.

Wine gift baskets are trendy gifts that are very popular – in terms of price and taste.  Along with the bottles of wine, wine gift baskets also contain various accessories as well, such as wine glasses and corkscrews.  With most wine baskets, fruit and chocolate is included as well.  You can also find cheese in some baskets, which most consider to go perfect with fine wine.

Depending on the occasion, there are suitable wine gift baskets to choose from.  When you select a basket, there are several factors that you’ll need to consider in order to make the basket a truly special gift.  If you are giving a basket as a wedding present, then you’ll obviously want to choose a different basket than one you would give to a friend at a party.  There are wine baskets out there that are cheap in price – to those that are more expensive and more suitable for a wedding gift.

If you are buying a wine gift basket for a beginning enthusiast, you may want to include a book on wine that will help them learn more about wine in general. If you are giving the basket to a wine enthusiast with a lot of experience, you may want to include a stopper.  No matter who you are giving the basket to, a wine gift basket with an assortment of fine wine is a great gift that can bring joy to anyone.

For wine lovers, you can find gift baskets that include fruity red wine, tangy white wine, full bodied wine, dry wine, sparkling wine, and even sweet wine.  Red wine is ideal for main course meals such as meats, while white wine is ideal for seafood and white meat.  Sparkling wine on the other hand, is ideal for special occasions.  If you are giving the gift basket as a wedding present, sparkling wine is a choice that you can’t go wrong with.  Sparkling wine is one of the most popular types of wine – perfect for weddings and anniversaries.

If you have a bit of difficulty choosing a wine gift basket, you can’t go wrong with mixed baskets that offer a mixture of wines.  You can find these types of baskets in local stores or on the Internet.  They are affordable, starting around $20.00 and going up from there.  If you are thinking of getting fine wine gift baskets, you should keep in mind that it can be a bit more expensive.



Jeffrey

A F asked:


A fine feast would not be finalized without having a drink of fine wine to go together with it. If you frequently hold dinner parties at home, or you feel like spicing up a normal dinner with red or white wine, you can do so if you have your own wine storage in your own household. If you open a bottle of wine and don’t drink all of its contents, then you need to store it in a fresh, dry place. Just put the cork back on and you can store the wine in the refrigerator for about three days.

If you intend to keep the wine for longer than three days, rather than just re-corking the wine, a stopper should be positioned on top of the bottle. Then, it should be aired out by means of a pump for a longer storage time.

For many years, wine drinking has become increasingly fashionable. The way you store your wine is particularly important. The moment you open a bottle of wine that has been stored as it should be, it can be magnificent indeed, while on the other hand, opening a bottle of badly stored wine can be quite a disappointment. Usually, drinking a bottle of wine that was inadequately stored is much like drinking vinegar

For wine lovers out there who have a big number of wine bottles, or cases to keep, there are a number of effective ways that you can use to care for and keep your wine for total enjoyment.

If you have a considerable collection of a variety of wines, you can have them stored in an offsite storage. Commercial wine storage services charge a astonishingly small fee to let you sit back and be comfortable at home while they take care of your wine bottles stored at the ideal temperature and humidity.

On the other hand, if you want to have easy access to your wine collection right in your own household, you can do so by having your own wine storage system. Remember that the culprits to an imperfect wine storage are wrong or inadequate heat, humidity and light. Check that light does not enter your wine closet, cellar or refrigerator.

It is also important to maintain the temperature at a steady degree. For red wines, the perfect temperature is 10 to 18 degrees Celsius while white wines are best maintained at 7 to 15 degrees Celsius. If you have any doubts, check with the vintner or the person from whom you purchased the wine to know the exact temperature range to store the wine.

The direction that wine is stored is important as well. If the wine stays in contact with the cork throughout storage, the cork won’t dry out. If the wine doesn’t stay in contact with the cork, the cork could dry out and let air into the wine. You should also make every effort to keep the wine out of the light, as light can mess up any type of wine. Light causes the wine to age ahead of time, making it in your best interest to store wine in a dark location.

To prevent damage to the wine from sediment, you should also store wine in a place that is free of vibration. Vibrations are by no means a good thing for wine, seeing that the sediment grows to be unsettled and can devastate the wine or shake it to the point where it tastes awful.



Shelley