Wine Tips on Mint.com

budget planner – Mint.com

Saturday Morning Quote

“Excellent wine generates enthusiasm. And whatever you do with enthusiasm is generally successful.” — Baron Philippe de Rothschild

Great Q & A Answer on Wine Consumers

A Flemish food and wine critic named Filip Verheyden, who is launching a new international wine magazine (called Tong), answered a recent interview Question in the Wall St. Journal (pretty good answer, too)

Q: What do you think consumers most want from a wine?

"They want it to be straightforward and recognizable. Tastes have moved away from overwhelmingly abundant, hugely aromatic wines. The future of wine over the next five to ten years is honest, authentic products. Tasting wine is about primary feelings. In gastronomy, the trend is back to basics and away from molecular cuisine."

Read the article here

Great Red Wine and Health Story

Health Secrets of Red Wine Uncovered
But for maximum benefits, sip don't gulp, research shows
Posted June 11, 2009

THURSDAY, June 11 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists already knew that drinking red wine in moderation is good for your health; now they are figuring out why.

New research is uncovering the disease-prevention secrets of a polyphenol called resveratrol, one of compounds in red wine that seems to improve health. Although the benefits have been touted for years, researchers weren't sure how polyphenols, and resveratrol in particular, worked in the body.

"The breadth of benefits is remarkable -- cancer prevention, protection of the heart and brain from damage, reducing age-related diseases, such as inflammation, reversing diabetes and obesity, and many more," said Lindsay Brown, an associate professor of the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Queensland in Australia and co-author of a study that will appear in the September issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

Brown said scientists are beginning to understand how resveratrol does its work. Possible mechanisms include:

* High doses of the compound may prevent cancer by increasing the process of apoptosis (programmed cell death).
* Low doses improve cardiac health by increasing cellular protection and reducing damage.
* Resveratrol may help remove very reactive oxidants in the body and improve blood supply to cells.

Scientists are also studying how the body absorbs resveratrol into the blood stream, since the compound is largely inactivated in the gut and liver.

"Most of the resveratrol in imbibed red wine does not reach the circulation," Stephen Taylor, a professor of pharmacology at the University of Queensland, said in a journal news release. "Interestingly, absorption via the mucous membranes in the mouth can result in up to around 100 times the blood levels, if done slowly rather than simply gulping it down."

Summer Wine Ideas

Find some time this summer to drink a new wine!

Why? Because life is sometimes hot, boring and needs a boost of newness...just like the dog days of summer.

Here's some ideas of what I mean (five wines - listed A to Z):

Albarino: Native white grape of Spain. Grown mostly in Galicia and particularly good in the "D.O." of Rias Baixas. These grapes are greatly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. As a white wine, Albarino is very aromatic, with nice stone fruit flavors and nuances of minerals. Many experts believe there is a genetic relationship between Albarino and Riesling, but unlike most Rieslings, Albarino finishes dry and is an excellent match with Seafood.

Beaujolais: Native to this sub region of Burgundy, France, the Gamay grape of Beaujolais can be an excellent summer sipper, particularly in the "cru" regions such as Brouilly, Chenas, Morgon, and Moulin a Vent. Lighter in body than a Pinot Noir from Burgundy and elsewhere, Beaujolais wines (not "Villages" or "Noveau") from the smaller communes have elegance and fruit flavors of light black cherry and plum.

Rosé Wines: Dozens of juicy rosé wines can be found at wine shops and restaurants this summer. Just because the wine is pink doesn't mean it's sweet or like "white zinfandel." Rosés tend to be best if they are true pressings (not blended red and white wine) where the skins come into contact with the wine during vinification for a period of time (15-30 hours) and pick up the delicate color and flavors from the skins. Higher quality rosé wines are made from red wine grapes such as Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and others.

Sangiovese: The predominate grape in Tuscany and most recognizable from the wines of Chianti where bright red fruit flavors such as raspberry and strawberry come forward. Many domestic Sangiovese wines are being produced today, some of the best from the coastal regions of California from Napa all the way down to Paso Robles. One of the best I have ever tasted is from Caprone Winery.

Vermentino: An Italian grape variety grown mostly in southern Italy with some of the best coming from the island of Sardinia. Vermentino grapes are delicate and many times pressed at night during harvest to retain both a freshness of flavor and to preserve the light straw yellow color. Like the fare in Sardinia, this wine is a great match with seafood, particularly shellfish.

Don't be afraid to seek these wines out...if your wine shop doesn't have them, ask them to order some for you. Most distributors will ship several bottles of a new varietal or style of wine to a shop for special order customers.

Focus Wine

I've been working with a remarkable wine importer and distributor in FL. For me, it's what's in the bottle is what truly counts.

This company has only artisan producers of wine, no beer or hard spirits.

Some examples of wineries can be found on the new site for this company Focus Wines Orlando

Most rewarding is not representing or placing wine brands into the broad market. I don't work with chains, grocers or discounters.

I call on family owned wine shops and restaurants, dedicated owners, like the wine companies and winemakers themselves, doing what they do best, every day.

Easter and Passover wishes

My goal is for this blog to help you enjoy wine more. On that note, this post is to you and yours this fine Easter and Passover weekend. May your wine be as tasty as it is sacred.

On the "sacred" note - the four cups of wine are symbolic in Judaism, it's all about redemption. With Christians, wine represents the blood of Jesus Christ which symbolically washed away the guilt of those who broke divine laws. Again, much about redemption.

On the "tasty" note - remarkable Kosher wines are being made throughout the world, everyone should try them. Here's a link to a resource site

A last note, and another goal - I am working to be totally more aware of others than I am about myself. In the day to day wine business, it's about listening and looking for body language that speaks, too.

When you shop for or order wine out, make sure you relax and ask questions because not all merchants and restaurant servers are good listeners. Tell them what you like about a wine and perhaps mention a producer, style or grape varietal to them that you enjoy. It will help them match what they feature to your palate.

Cheers!