3:49 PM

January - Wine Types

Today's Wine Types Article

A Look At American Wineries, It's More Than Just California

Wine is produced in all 50 states in the US. While California accounts for the majority of American wine production (followed by Washington State, New York State, and Oregon), there are many wineries spread all over throughout the United States that are worth visiting.

Finding a Winery

There are many sites online that can help assist you in finding the perfect winery to visit. All American Wineries is one great resource, as it lists wineries, the states they are in, and shares people's opinions/reviews on some of the wineries. Looking online helps you find smaller wineries, which do not share large-advertising budgets to get their name out, but could be just what you're looking for.

If you are traveling spur-the-moment, or do not have internet access, you can check the phone book, or simply ask around, many smaller wineries are well-known to people around town.

Wineries tend to utilize the type of grape that is grown in their region. Because of this, wines have a unique taste and zest, specific to location. Those producing this wine generally have taste for what best compliments their wine. In effect, you can go to almost any winery and have a completely unique experience!

Contrary to popular belief, wineries do not have to be located near a vineyard, because grapes can be shipped in, and because wine can be made of other fruits and plants. Specialty wineries are also located in the US (although they are less common). Some different types of wine: dandelion wine, apple wine, strawberry wine.

Wineries offer many different activities, but they are usually special events that happen occasionally. If you are looking to pursue one of these events (like sample wine from wineries all over the world), you might have to do more extensive research. You can find what you're looking for by calling different wineries and asking if and when they are doing something of the sort, or by simply looking more extensively online.

Winery Activities

Different wineries offer different experiences, taste-wise, and activity-wise. There are constantly different festivals and events occurring (depending on season, location, and reason). Some wineries offer private tours of the valley, wine facility tours, catered lunches, taste-testing, live music, and other activities to pursue during your time there.

Location

If you cannot decide which winery to pursue based on information about the winery, you might want to consider traveling by location. This is a realistic possibility as there are wineries scattered all around the US. For example, if you might want to do more than check out the winery, you could chose your winery according to whether or not you want to ski, surf, or shop.

There is an anonymous quote saying "life is too short to drink bad wine", and by doing your own research and not settling for the most-advertised, or most convenient winery, you are certain to find a perfect wine, and have a wonderful time doing so.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as Fruit Baskets and Wine at http://www.fruitandwinebaskets.com

A Short Wine Types Summary

A Look At American Wineries, It's More Than Just California

Wine is produced in all 50 states in the US. While California accounts for the majority of American wine production (followed by Washington State, Ne...

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5:53 AM

June 2008 - Wine Descriptions

Wine Descriptions For Your Reading Pleasure

5 Tips For Experiencing A Wine Festival

Almost every state in the country has a wine festival. It is a great way to sample the wines of the region and to become familiar with some of the great wineries that are right in your backyard.

If you decide to go to a wine festival, there are some things you can do to make the most out of the wine festival you are attending. Coming back from the festival with your favorite bottle of wine is always enjoyable, but to get even more benefit, you can follow these tips.

1. Decide beforehand if you will do wine tasting or not.

If you decide to taste the wine, you will need to make sure of at least 2 things: First, bring along a designated driver who will decide to go dry during the festival, or, if you do wine tasting, make sure you spit the wine out in one of the many buckets they have available.

Another thing you will need to decide, is which wines you would like to taste. Many wine festivals are arranged by types of wineries and the wines they serve. Most wineries will have their own booths which are easily indicated on the maps of the event that are given out at the wine festival.

2. Sample the foods at the food booths at the wine festial

One of the great pleasures of having wine is the combination of the food and wine together. Many of the food booths that are on display are great in combination with the wines that are in the tasting tour.

Be sure to ask the vendors at the food tables what wines that are currently in tasting go best with their foods. The vendors should have a list of the wineries and wines that are up for tasting, so they should be able to give you some additional insight with the food and wine combination.

Another benefit is that it will put food in your stomache, which will keep you from being tipsy early on in the wine festival.

3. Sample some of the wines from each of the different wine regions

Depending upon the size of the festival, the variety of wineries will dictate how many regions are introduced. At the Lafayette Wine Festival in Colorado, there were several different regions throughout the state represented. Colorado has some varied climates so there are a number of wines that should be tasted, to experience the variety of flavors that come from the Colorado wineries.

4. Keep track of your wine tastings on a score card

Most wine festivals will give you a card or sheet of paper to be able to keep track of your wine selections. As you taste the wine, keep track of the wine you tasted and how you liked the flavor. Get ideas from the wineries serving the wine about which foods would go best with the wines you really enjoyed, and write that down.

The more you take notes at the wine festival, the less you will have to think about after the festival. There is nothing more frustrating that trying to remember which wines you liked, and what foods they would go best with. After a full day of wine tasting, your brain cells probably won't function as well by the end of the day, so take notes as you go through the festival.

5. Have fun at the wine festival

Last but not least, as if I had to tell you... Have a lot of fun at the wine festival. Wine festivals are almost always a festive event where most people are having a great time. Experience the energy of people tasting wine, getting a bit tipsy, and just having a great time.

Meet and talk with the other wine festival attendees. You will usually find them quite friendly after an hour of wine tasting. The winery merchants are quite willing to talk to you about their wines, and the tours of their vinyards they offer. Make a full day of it and see if you can make a new friend or business associate.

Wine festivals can be a lot of fun and also a great learning experience for the wine enthusiast. Following some simple tips can give you a lot more out of the experience and will give you a great springboard to enjoy more wine festivals in your area or in another state entirely.

About the Author

Search one of the largest databases on the web for wineries in the United States. Find out when and where wine festivals are occurring and see products and services related to wine.
http://www.officialwinery.com
A http://drivetraffictomywebsite.com creation

Thoughts about Wine Descriptions

5 Tips For Experiencing A Wine Festival

Copyright 2006 B Hopkins
Almost every state in the country has a wine festival. It is a great way to sample the wines of the region and to become fami...

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3:04 AM

All's well, that ends well. We have now come to the ending of Calorie Counter . Until we meet again, adios.

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Screwcaps For Wine Is It Bye-Bye To The Romance?

Maybe youve noticed screwcaps on more of the higher priced wines lately. The trend is continuing to grow and so is the debate of whether a screwcap or cork is better for wine. The industry has basically "agreed to disagree" as to whether wine bottled with a screwcap or a cork tastes better, ages better and has less of a tendency to spoil.

As more wineries consider using screwcaps instead of the traditional cork, one has to wonder how the public at large will accept the change in tradition. When the occasional wine drinker sees a $20 bottle of wine with a screwcap, will he move to the next bottle on the shelf because he conjuring thoughts in his mind of his college years and Boones Farm Apple Wine?

Corks hold tradition and romance for a bottle of wine. It's hard to imagine dining at a fine eating establishment and ordering a bottle of wine without expecting the waiter pull out his corkscrew. Watching him carefully cut the foil, masterfully twist the screw into the cork, and giving it a pull with a final, ever so slight, pop, is part of what we pay for when we order a bottle of wine. It's shear romance; it's a moment we hold in our memory of a nice dining experience.

Why would a winery want to change an age-old tradition that holds so much charm? Well, apparently the occurrence of wines being spoiled because of the cork is a fairly large problem. One report from the International Wine Challenge, the world's largest wine competition, states that nearly one in 20 bottles, or 4.9% of the 11,033 bottles opened at that competition had spoiled or the flavor had been flattened because of the cork.

How is the cork responsible for the ruin of so much wine? Cork is a tree bark and when wine corks are manufactured, chlorine bleach is used for cleaning and brightening the color. When the bleach comes in contact with the natural molds that are present in the cork, a reaction occurs and a chemical called trichloroanisole (TCA) is produced. If this chemical comes in contact with the wine, it will cause it to taste like damp cardboard. When this happens the wine is then referred to as being "corked", and it is undrinkable.

Screwcaps have proven themselves to be a better alternative to cork. First developed in Australia, the brand name for screwcaps used for wine is Stelvin, so you will often hear them referred to as such. These caps are not the same as those used for food and drink; these caps are specially designed to protect fine wines from tainting for a period of time and to allow for aging. Basically the part of the cap that actually contacts the wine is made from a thin coating of Teflon film over pure tin, this gives the cap the capability to stay stable and flavor-neutral for a very long time.

There are some screwcap critics that say the Stelvin caps don't allow for proper "breathing" so the wine can age, however, this is a myth. If a cork is perfect and works the way it is supposed to work, it will not allow air into the bottle. Actually, oxygen is potentially harmful to the wine and very unnecessary for the aging process. To quote a leading Bordeaux authority Professor Pascal Ribreau-Gayon in the Handbook of Enology,

reactions that take place in bottled wine do not require oxygen.

And one more authority, Professor Emile Peynaud of Bordeaux says,

it is the opposite of oxidation, a process of reduction, or asphyxia by which wine develops in the bottle

So, as we watch a trend develop of vintners moving toward using screwcaps we, the wine-drinking public, are just going to have to come to terms with the fact that screwcaps have proven themselves. Because of the Stelvin, we consumers will be able to enjoy better preserved and better tasting wine in the years to come. Actually, instead of thinking about moving to the next bottle on the shelf because of the screwcap, we should be seeking out the wine that delights your palate regardless of whether it uses a screwcap or not.

David-The Wine Gift Guy loves to drink wine. He also likes to write about the wine he drinks and everything he learns along the way. Read about his experiences, reviews, and recommendations at his website, http://www.TheWineGiftGuy.com . Comments at the site are encouraged, stop by & help David build a great big, snob-free, wine-loving community.

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