Wine By philv | No comments yet

Wine: A Simplified Introduction

What is wine?

Wine has been produced for many centuries from just a couple 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.

Historically wine was the drink of choice because of the sometimes poor quality of the drinking water in so many regions. Today, of course, we tend to open a bottle of fine wine at times of celebration or offer it as a welcome gift as part of a wine gift basket.

How is wine made?

Since there are yeast spores in the air, wine could be made without effort simply by allowing grape juice to stay in an open container for an extended period of time. You probably wouldn’t find that so enjoyable, though.

Yeast is a living organism. In wine making, the yeast feeds off the sugars. That process is called fermentation. The action of fermentation converts the sugars in the juice into alcohol with a biproduct of carbon dioxide. In contemporary times, special types of yeast have been cultured solely for their use in wine making. The particular strain of the yeast, along with other factors, determines the flavor of the wine.

The wine is removed from the original container and placed into another container in order to mature before bottling. The yeast stays in the original container.

There are black grapes and green grapes and grapes of various gradations in between. Regardless of the color of the grape the juice is always clear, or nearly so. If the skins are left in the juice during fermentation, a red wine is the result. A white wine results when the skins are removed.

Many factors contribute to the eventual flavor of any wine. They include the strain of yeast, the type of grape, the soil conditions, the weather during the growing season, the technique and temperature during fermentation and even the nature of the oak barrels in which the wine matures.

It is because of all of these variables that a wine drinker can always notice a flavor difference from one wine to the next. This can make for an interesting hobby of never-ending discovery.

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.

Clearly, this has been a quick overview of wine, but hopefully it has filled some of the voids in your understanding of this historic drink.



Wine By philv | No comments yet

History of California Wine

California wine is a reflection of the land where they are produced and of the people who craft them.  The unique taste of these wines is due to the consistent weather conditions and fertile ground in which their grapes are grown. California wine growers produce some of the finest wines in the world due to the attention winegrape growers give to matching grape varieties to climate and location.

The Spanish influence on most California wine is quite obvious. The Spaniards first planted vineyards in the 18th century as each mission was established. A vineyard would be the basic staple of each California mission that was built in the 18th cnetury. Early vine cuttings came from Mexico from the common black grape. This grape species, often referred to as the “Mission Grape,” was the chief varietal of the early mission vineyards.

The largest expansion in populace and wineries in the California areas of Sonaoma and Nappa Valleys was during the years of the gold rush. Notable wine producers like Buena Vista Winery, Charles Krug Winery, Inglenook Vineyards, and Schramsberg Vineyard were created during this period.

California Wine Territories

California wine is produced in specific locales. There are 4 vicinities in particular.  The number one vicinity is referred to as the North Coast area which is located north of San Francisco comprising of Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, and Lake Counties. Second is the Central Coast of California that are areas west of San Francisco all the way to Santa Barbara County that includes well known places such as the Paso Robles, Santa Maria Valley, Santa Ynez Valley and more. Third on the list is the South Coast region which denotes the area south of Los Angeles all the way to Mexico which includes the Temecula Valley, Antelope Valley, San Pasqual, Ramona Valley, etc. The fourth region is the Central Valley which includes, of course, the central valley and the Sierra foothills and Lodi.

Varieties of Grapes and Wines

There are a number of types of grapes cultivated in the California wine regions. There are French, Italian and Spanish grapes as well as hybrid grapes and new varieties being developed all the time.

You will recognize such names as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot noir and more. They also grow red wine grapes that you may be familiar with such as the Barbera, Grenache, Malbec, Petite Sirah and Sangiovese. Some white grapes are the Chenin blanc, Gewurztraminer, Pinot blanc, Pinot gris, and Riesling to name just a few.

The New World Style California Wine

California winemakers produce “Old World” wines as well as their trademark “New World” wines.  The temperate and warmer climate in California ripens the grape earlier making for a frutier flavored wine with 13.5% alcohol levels. California wines achieve a full bodied flavor by making wine using oak aging process.

Winning California Wines

More attention and rave reviews have been coming from the international arena as California wine producers craft higher quality wines each year. The rest of the world is quickly discovering the treasures of the California wine industry through the wine of the month club.  Another wine club worth mentioning is the California wine club which offers offers premium California wines at great pricing.  The best Cabernet wines in the world come from California.



Recipes By philv | No comments yet

Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes – A Quick Read

Thanksgiving is a time of food. It’s a celebration of the Pilgrim’s early successes in America, won through hard work to tame the land in what was for them a new world. The menu is usually the same. Turkey, sometimes ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, rolls or bread, pumpkin pie and apple pie, and a variety of other trimmings adorn the holiday table. Families gather not only to celebrate the historic event, but just to catch up with everyone’s lives. The food may be similar, but Thanksgiving dinner recipes have as much variety as the colors of the leaves on the November trees.

How about this Thanksgiving dinner recipe for a delicious appetizer? Move the pumpkin from dessert to the start of the meal as a savory Pumpkin soup. Heat a tablespoon each of oil and butter over medium heat. Add three sliced leeks (only the white) and saute until the leeks are soft. Add 15 ounces of pumpkin puree, a pinch of cloves, one tablespoon of ground cinnamon, one teaspoon of ground ginger, and a pinch of salt. Stir that until well mixed, then pour in 32 ounces of vegetable broth. Stir in one quarter cup of brown sugar. Bring it to a low boil then let it simmer for 10 minutes. If desired pour a tsp or so of cream or half and half into the bowl before adding soup and a dash of cinnamon. That sounds good.

A turkey can be fried instead of broiled.  It won’t get greasy.  The oil is so hot it doesn’t flow into the meat.  Buy a turkey fryer.  You’ll need two thermometers, one for the meat and one for the oil.  Fry outside in a large open area.  Get that oil hot, up to 350F.  The turkey takes about three minutes per pound to fry to about 170 degrees F in the breast.  Dressing isn’t fried inside the turkey, but spices can be injected into it.

For some other Thanksgiving dinner recipes for soup, try curried pumpkin apple soup, butternut squash soup, or pumpkin and sausage soup. But there are other good appetizers for the meal. Try something different like cheese wrapped asparagus. Use two cheeses, one spread and one sliced. One idea is swiss cheese slices with a softer blue cheese spread. Spread the soft cheese on the slices, wrap it around a few asparagus spears, then cook in a 230 degree C oven for about 15 minutes, or until the asparagus is soft. Sure wrapping cheese around asparagus turns a pretty healthy food into something a little more fattening. But Thanksgiving isn’t a time for a diet. Live a little!

Many more delicious Thanksgiving dinner recipes are available on the Internet.



Recipes By philv | No comments yet

Weight Loss Technique: Tuna Patties Using Lemon Dill Sauce

Lean protein is your diet is important to weight loss and weight maintenance. Tuna fish is an fantastic source of lean protein since it is lower inside fat than red meats.

Losing weight isn’t about hunger, misery and crash dieting! By learning to make, delicious, simple-to-prepare, nutritious food your body needs and will enjoy – losing weight becomes exciting and energizing.

Instead of high calorie, fatty sources – practice spices to provide flavorsome, exciting meals your complete family will enjoy. “Tuna Patties With Lemon Dill Sauce” is another recipe inside a range of hunger-fighting, low fat recipes to make easier you keep your weight below control. This irresistible, no-hassle meal will help out you reach your weight-loss goals – while making mealtime a real medication.

Diversity is an main element of several useful health program. If you get bored using foods, you’re much more possible to abandon your program altogether. Experiment with spices to find exciting alternatives, try fresh recipes and build your repertoire of quick home cooked meals to replace take outs, frozen dinners and snacks. Your body will love you and your family will be delighted.

These tuna fish patties are delicious hot or cold. They are excellent for the lunchbox – simply hold back the sauce.

Ingredients
1 (12 ounce) (350g) be able to white tuna packed inside water, drained and finely flaked
3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup minced green onion
1 egg
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

Lemon Dill Sauce
1/4 cup nonfat chicken broth
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dried dill

Directions
1. Inside large bowl, combine tuna, breadcrumbs, green onion, egg, milk, and lemon peel.
2. With softly floured hands, form mixture into patties.
3. Spray a large nonstick skillet using cooking spray and heat on top of medium heat.
4. Cook patties, until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.

Sauce
Combine each ingredients inside a little saucepan and heat above medium heat until warm.

Add a tiny amount of flour and mix with a whisk to thicken sauce.

Spoon sauce higher than tuna patties and serve.

Makes 4-6 Servings

Approximate Nutrients per serving
Calories: 190
Total fat: 1
Saturated fat: 0 grams
Cholesterol: 72 mg
Sodium: 34 mg
Carbohydrate: 18 grams
Protein: 29 grams
Dietary fiber: less than 1 gram



Cooking By philv | No comments yet

Tips On How To Prepare Chicken

Chicken can often be really bland. It can be boring to keep eating the same after-school snacks day after day. My mom constantly made chicken recipes that consisted of meat, and Italian dressing. That was it! Just thinking about eating this bland and boring dish is upsetting my taste buds.

Sometimes she would put in roasted carrots; unfortunately these too would be smothered with Italian dressing and in my opinion, this completely ruined the carrots for me. There are so many other recipes with chicken that are healthy and taste good. It does not have to be the same boring thing all the time.

You can spice up a dish with some of the many herbs available or add a sauce or use a marinade. With such a variety available, it is a wonder my mother never used more than one! I now use a variety of different sauces with my children including teriyaki, pesto, white wine and butter cream. You can also really brighten up recipes for chicken with the side dishes you chose to use. Add some vegetables with cheese, or cilantro lime rice.

You can create a pasta sauce or make tacos using chicken burgers also. One of the best things about chicken recipes is that they are very flexible and more healthy than other meats. If you’re looking for an ideal meat for your children, look no further than chicken, which is perhaps the leanest meat available. Just make sure to mix it up, or they will get bored of the meat in general. Sometimes, they don’t actually realize they are eating foods that have chicken in them if they are combined with a stew or a soup. There are a great many recipes that substitute chicken for less healthy sources of protein.

Next time you a preparing a meal, think about all the different things you can do with one simple meat! Fry it, roast it, poach it or bake it- the opportunities are endless, and quite tasty if I must say so myself.



Wine By philv | No comments yet

Reports Suggest That Britain Consume The Most Wine

Britain now imports more wine than any other country on the planet. We imported a grand total of 1.6 billion bottles in 2007, equating to 35 standard bottles for every adult in the country which is absolutely staggering figure. The average British adult now drinks 12% more wine than they did just five years ago and forecasts predict our consumption will continue to grow far beyond that figure. Global wine consumption is on the vast increase in past years and also forecast to grow considerably. The United States are predicted to eventually become the world’s biggest consumer by 2012. The UK is 13th in the world, in terms of consumption per adult and despite Britain being a big importer, the amount we drink is completely dwarfed by other neighbouring European countries including France.

Red wine and white wine sales are on the increase as well as champagne, whisky and cognacs. This has incidentally caused an increase in the sale of almost all drinking glasses, including crystal glass and the humble whisky glass. The British public consumed 720 million bottles of red wine and seven hundred and sixty four million bottles of white wine in 2008 and that figure is expected to grow for 2009. However red wine is rapidly falling in popularity within society, as white wine and rose wine take larger shares of the increasing market industry.

Wine merchants have been extremely busy for the last year. Additionally, reports have indicated that many wine accessories such as glass vases, decanters and dinnerware have been selling extremely fast as a natural accompaniment to wine. The thirst for wine is set to deepen in emerging economies such as China and Russia, whose consumption levels are soon expected to overtake that of Spain in Europe which is another nation historically associated with wine. It predicted that the financial and economic crisis affecting many wine consumer countries worldwide would only have ‘limited’ consequences for the growth of the wine sector. The report forecasts vast growth for the coming four years roughly in line with pre-crisis trends. Either way it is a very worrying thought.



Wine Glasses By philv | No comments yet

3 Types Of Wine Glass You Cannot Live Without

Many people think that it doesn’t matter what type of glass you drink a wine from. They will always taste the same right? Well, increasingly people are favouring having a selection of different types of glass for enjoying a selection of wines.Mr Riedel (the famous wine ware producer) has his grandfather to thank for the different shaped glasses as he first came up with the concept of altering the size and shapes for better drinking.Ever since, people have been convinced that the theory is correct and you can really notice a difference is the drinking experience. Shaun Green, buyer for San Francisco based Wine Merchant K & L is someone who believes in this passionately, saying “It really does make a difference”.  Riedel now have over 40 different types of wine glasses, but if you can’t afford, or haven’t got space for these glasses, which ones are vital to own?

Red Wine – You really need a big-bowled smooth and basic glass for the drinking of red wine. This enhances the ability to swish the wine in the glass and liberate its full flavours. The nose is also easily let into the body of the glass which maximises the ability to inhale the sweet aromas. This is a characteristic that is also seen in a whisky glass

White Wine – The smaller-bowled glass with a higher rim is needed for drinking white wine. This prevents any of the precious aroma from lifting over the edge of the glass and keeps the flavours tightly wrapped up before they enter the mouth.

Champagne – The long thin iconic shape of champagne flutes is needed to drink this luxury product. The bubbles are preserved in the flute better than they would be in another glass and the the narrow rim prevents the carbonated air from entering the sinuses.

All other wines basically fit into these three categories and the three styles of glass will compliment each one well. So if you haven’t got these 3, you might have some shopping to do.



Wineries By philv | No comments yet

Napa Valley Wine Tours: Wine, Food, Fun And More

Napa Valley, California USA is a highly desirable destination for wine lovers from all over the world. Part of Northern California, with its excellent soil and gorgeous weather, Napa Valley hosts some of the best wineries in the world along with superb accommodations for wine tasting tours.

Whether you are an expert wine taster or just a novice in the wine tasting world, Napa Valley will give you an experience you will long remember. There is no doubt that you will be able to savor some of the best wines that the world has to offer right here. But, as you will see, Napa Valley wine-tasting tours are much more than just about the wine. True to the spirit of California, there is an exhilarating mix of other attractions all related to wine tasting to transform a visit to Napa Valley from being just about wine tasting to an unforgetable experience.

There is the exciting Napa Valley Wine Train. This is a great way to sample the different wines and food, you will not have to worry about someone not being able to have their share of wine because they are the designated driver. The trains include exotic1950’s diesel Steamliner and turn-of-the century Pullman. Added to the tour of course are wine-tasting stops at different vineyards, or on the train and also gourmet meals. On some days you may even be treated to a concert. This is a great way to enjoy Napa Valley and its great wines (especially Cabernet Sauvignon wines).

Then there are the vineyards that are a bit more than just about the wine. There are vineyards that combine the wine-tasting experience with art, with some even having onsite artists, a truly unique experience. Some vineyards pay particular attention to architecture and great views, so if you are an architecture buff and an outdoors person you will definitely want to check out some of these wineries.

But the extent of what Napa Valley has to offer with its wine tasting tours does not stop there. Some wineries offer fun-filled tours on their estates, with one winery in particular offering tours in caves more than 50 feet underground. And if you would like to learn a some more about the wines you are savoring, some wineries offer lessons on how to identify and deconstruct wine flavors using all the senses.

So you can see that Napa Valley wine tasting tours are much more than about the wine. They can also be about art, food, the view, knowledge and most of all, great fun with an unforgettable experience.



Cooking By philv | No comments yet

Herbs and Spices and Spicy Indian Cooking Recipes

The truth is that Indian food is an acquired taste and if you are not a fan of spicy herbs and spices then you should probably avoid Indian cooking recipes. On the other hand if you love zesty exotic spices and already enjoy Mexican, Japanese and Chinese cuisine, Indian dishes may be your next craze. If ingredients such as chili peppers, ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander and turmeric sound appealing to you, then you should definitely consider giving Indian cooking a try. Cooking herbs and spices certainly spices up a meal.

Recipes Are Easy To Make

Once you understand an Indian cooking recipe it is very easy to follow. For example, it is possible to put a delicious chicken curry together in just half an hour. Your personal taste will allow you to modify the recipe so that it is less or more spicy. There are even some very quick Indian microwave cooking recipes for those people who have a particularly hectic schedule. Two delicious dishes that can be made in a microwave oven are Tandoori Aloo and Paheer Tikka.

Health Benefits In The Herbs and Spices

You and your family will benefit in your overall health from Indian cuisine. The dishes are usually packed full of nutritious herbs, spices and vegetables, such as ginger, garlic, turmeric, coriander, chilli peppers, garam masala, cayenne red pepper, tomatoes, onions, cumin, cardamom and fennel. Cancer, cardio vascular diseases and several other health conditions have been studied and researched, finding curry and other Indian cooking recipes beneficial in helping to combat these diseases.

You will be surprised how inexpensive Indian cooking recipes are. The spices are the most expensive to purchase, but you use little and do not have to replace them very often. My Spice Sage herbs and spices has just what you need at a very reasonable price. Cooking in bulk and freezing half, is a very economical way of cooking and Indian cooking recipes are great for freezing the leftovers for another meal and saving money. When compared to the cost of buying take away dishes, or eating out in restaurants, Indian cooking recipes offer very good value for money. Junk food is very fattening and bad for you, but Indian cuisine is very healthy for you and your family.

Finding The Herbs and Spices For Your Indian Recipes

It is very easy to find Indian cooking recipes if you browse the web. Alternatively, you could buy one of the many Indian cooking recipe books that are available to purchase. It is also possible to get lessons from an authentic Indian chef, or if you are lucky, visit India to learn more about the cuisine. Furthermore, if you know any Indian people you can ask them to share some of their cooking tips and secrets.

To cook your Indian dishes you need the right herbs and spices, at the very start. It might be worth your while to investigate a MySpiceSage Review. It is an online treasure trove of exotic herbs and spices. There are many gourmet items for every meal cuisine. There is a section on Indian herbs and spices, so finding what you need is very easy.

So if you are looking to add that little bit of spice in your life, cook an Indian recipe, add the zesty herbs and spices and dish up a healthy meal that is sure to delight any member of your family.



Cabernet By philv | No comments yet

Blackstone Winery Cabernet Sauvignon (2007)

Blackstone Winery offers a Cabernet Sauvignon which I picked up yesterday on sale for $8 a bottle (750 ML).  It says California on the label so I know that the grapes don’t come from a specific American Viticultural Area.  Reading this Cabernet wine’s label you’ll discover the grapes come from the Central Coast, Sonoma and Napa Valley.  Thats perfectly fine as long as the wine performs.

The color is a deep dark purple.   Now the nose or aroma emits a bit of cherry and plum with menthol.  If you like dry Cabs this wine fits the bill.  It is bold with recognizable tannins that could handle a rich meal fatty meal well.  This Cabernet Sauvignon has a finish that hangs with you a while.

There are reviews out on this Cabernet wine.  What I noticed about it is people either think its average or pretty good.  My view on the wine is it is solid and bold wine with a good price point that will fit with a hearty meal.  Not perfect but still good that I would rate at a fair 85 points.

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