Valentine’s Day – If Only They Made Chocolate Wine

admin — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 00:27:52 +0000

'Cause if someone made chocolate wine you wouldn't have to bother pairing it for Valentine's Day! The problem with both chocolate and wine is there are so many different kinds and so many unique and complex flavorings. How can you possibly anticipate what that box of chocolate truffles from CVS will taste like when paired with Two Buck Chuck? Well, first I hope you can do a little bit better than convenience store chocolate and Two Buck Chuck for your Valentine, and second, they actually do make chocolate wine, or at least wine covered in chocolate. Third, why try to pair what's already been paired for you? Most wine gift / basket sellers put a considerable amount of time into selecting products that pair perfectly with each other, for example: For sharing with or simply indulging your favorite Valentine, the gift of premium chocolate truffles and red wine is a classic gift that always pleases. At the link above, your beloved can receive a bottle of Beringer Founders' Estate Cabernet Sauvignon in a gift-wrapped wine box. Rich and smooth, this California Cabernet is the perfect accompaniment to a dozen fruit ganache (a smooth mixture of chocolate and cream, not to be confused with Grenache the grape) truffles made with exotic fruit and cream purees encased in hand-painted milk and dark chocolates. Combined, the truffles and wine make the perfect gift to say "I love you." And no, this wine gift will not help you or your beloved keep your New Years resolutions to lose 50 lbs. Besides, statistics say that 30% of all resolutions are broken within the first week, and the rest are toast in less than a month, so you're golden. But, if you must torture yourself with the damage you're doing to your health before your go ahead and eat it anyway, check out this article on the calories in wine.

This is a post from: The Wine Cellar Blog

To Boldly Go Where No English Winemaker has Gone Before

admin — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 06:52:09 +0000

At least since the Middle Ages. Due to warmer temperatures, a few British wineries have revived a red winemaking tradition which died around 600 years ago. Wine critcs' opinions about the wine have been mixed, but some seem convinced that the finest red wines may in the future come from north of the English channel if this warming trend continues. With soils similar to Champagne and an edgier climate, England is already producing world-class sparkling wines like Nyetimber (which recently won the International Wine & Spirit Competition Denbies Trophy for the Best Worldwide Sparkling Wine for the 3rd time), Ridgeview and Camel Valley. But, red wine is a different story. UK vineyards still struggle to ripen popular red grape varieties like Pinot Noir. They are rarely able to produce enough for a single grape variety wine. As a result, for the past decade or so UK growers have been making reds that blended Pinot Noir with other grapes such as Dornfelder, a Germanic variety which ripens in colder climates but isn't as tasty. So far, English winemakers have not managed to master the varieties behind the famous full-bodied wines of Bordeaux, such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, although some have tried to grow these under plastic sheeting. This has yielded reds that are generally lighter in color and taste, and less alcoholic than wines from warmer regions. No wonder the English are looking up for help. A number of English vineyards have signed up for a satellite imaging service to optimize grape harvests, and hopefully wine quality. The Oenoview system, first launched in France last year, analyzes the images to determine vine leaf density, soil water content and grape bunch sizes. The imaging system gives growers an idea of grape quality based on the quantity of foliage which is an indirect measure of the amounts of sugars and tannins contained in the grapes. It also tells winemakers which parts of the vineyard are ripening earlier than others so they can be harvested accordingly. Unlike the French, the English are not afraid of technology and see it as a large part of their industry's future. According to Julia Trustram Eve from English Wine Producers, "Innovation is at the heart of the English wine industry and vineyard owners are keen to use technology that complements their winemaking skills."

This is a post from: The Wine Cellar Blog

The Wine Cellar Blog» red wine

Valentine’s Day – If Only They Made Chocolate Wine

To Boldly Go Where No English Winemaker has Gone Before