Crystal Wine Glasses For the Ultimate Tasting Experience

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Do you have the right wine glasses for the dinnerparty you are hosting?
While most people know there is a difference, they are not sure what type ofwine glasses should be used for a red or white wine. The temperature of the wine may be your concern, but just as crucial, is the shape of the glass, whichcan influence the taste. Whetherthe glass directs the wineto the tip of the tongue, back of the mouth and/or sides of the mouth,you willappreciate the ultimate tasting experience when it comes to the wine you serve.

Main Types of Crystal Wine Glasses
Most wine enthusiasts know there are four glasses that are used more than others. Crystal wine glasses are the type recommended the most, because heavier makes of glass will most definitely change the taste of the wine. There are glasses for red wine; they are wide and tall so the niceties of the wine are savored. At least a couple of this type is recommended to have in your wine glass collection. This type is a Bordeaux glass. They are typically used for Merlots and Cabernets.

The second type is a white wine glass. They are smaller than others so the wine stays at the cool temperature it was served. The opening of this glass needs to be just a bit larger than glass itself. Another type for white wine is taller than the typical white wine glass. Straight and thinner this type is used for white wines that are aged a little more. Finally, everyone should have a Burgundy glass. They are larger still than the Bordeaux glass and allow the maximum enjoyment of this type of wine.

This is not to say you should not have a variety of crystal wine glasses that you use for different occasions. The champagne glass is a thin and tall glass. They are called champagne flutes and they are shaped like this for another reason besides the taste. They allow the bubbles to form in the glass of champagne.

When choosing the type of wine glasses you will use for a dinner, first consider the type of wine you will serve. This, of course, means the main wine. There are dessert wines that will be served later. Most are sweet and should be served in smaller, wider glasses.

The Riedel Collection
The first person to notice the aspects of wine were different according to what type of glass in which they were served was Professor Claus J. Riedel. If you are a wine lover, you have heard of the Riedel collection of crystal wine glasses. This collection is considered the best the world over when it comes to possessing the right glasses for serving wine.

Wine tantalizes the mouth, nose and eyes. The glass helps this to occur in the most pleasant way if you use the correct one. After working with wine tasters, Professor Riedel developed his own collection to bring out the characteristics of wine.

The Basics of Wine Glasses
A wine glass is made the way it is for a reason. The base is used to make sure the glass stays upright. The stem is for holding the glass to keep from warming the wine with your hands. The body of the glass is designed to show the clarity, allow the senses to be awakened and hold the wine until you are ready to drink.

There are general-purpose crystal wine glasses that may be used if you choose this type. They are clear and hold approximately ten ounces of wine. They should have just a little smaller rim than the body of the glass to help contain the aroma. This type of glass is great for a red wine, but one thing to remember is never serve a white wine in a red wine glass. This is a giant faux pas.

Although you probably never thought of it in that manner, unless you are a wine lover, the glass plays a big role in sending the wine to the parts of the mouth that will allow you to enjoy it to the fullest. Do not wait until the last minute to find out that you do not have the correct wine glasses for the wine you are serving for dinner. Buy a few different types to ensure you will be serving wine in the glass in which it is meant to be served.

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End-of-Harvest "Double-Fun Wine Tastings" At Roudon-Smith & Mica Cellars November 19, 2011

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Watsonville, CA (PRWEB) November 11, 2011

Roudon-Smith Winery and Mica Cellars have announced concurrent grand opening celebrations at their side-by-side wine tasting rooms in a conveniently located new location in Watsonville, California, near the Watsonville Airport, just off of State Highway 1. The double celebrations that also observe the end of harvest, will be held on Saturday, November 19th, 2011, from 11am to 5pm. On that day, Roudon-Smith will also participate in the Fall Santa Cruz Mountains Passport event.

Roudon-Smith Brings Award-Winning Winemaking Heritage

With its roots firmly planted as a Santa Cruz Mountains winery for nearly forty years, Roudon-Smith brings its fine wines to a new, conveniently located tasting room in Watsonville where it shares the same roof with up-and-coming Mica Cellars. While putting finishing touches on the new tasting room in preparation for the upcoming end-of-harvest Double-Fun Wine Tastings, owner Al Drewke commented, Were thrilled to be here in our new location, where well continue to make great, affordable and food-friendly wine and have easy access for tasting every Saturday.

At the event, Roudon-Smith will be welcoming the public, Roudon-Smith Wine Club members and Santa Cruz Mountains Passport holders, where Drewke will be pouring his current wine releases, complemented with light appetizers and an occasional barrel tasting of an upcoming release. All current Roudon-Smith wine releases will also be available for purchase at per-bottle prices ranging from $15 to $30. In addition, as part of the celebration, the winerys fabled Claret will be available by the case for $144/case and $100/case for wine club members. The Roudon-Smith 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon will be availabel for $86/half case and $75/half-case for wine club members.

Mica Cellars Known for Unique Artisan Wines

Mica Raas, owner at Mica Cellars, is a young winemaker that believes that winemaking is far more an art than a science, and that true perfection in winemaking can only be obtained by what he calls, careful management of microbial chaos. With origins in the wine trade as a cellar rat, he recently returned to the Santa Cruz Mountains area after, working my way up the ladder making vineyard designate Zinfandel in Sonomas Russian River Valley . . . and then Napa and Lodi, to create his own quickly sought-after wines under his new Mica Cellars label.

At the upcoming end-of-harvest Double-Fun Wine Tastings, Raas will pour his current release wines in his own tasting room, adjacent to Roudon-Smiths, along with light appetizers. Barrel tastings will also be available on selected future releases. All current Mica Cellars wine releases will be available for purchase at prices ranging from $15 to $30 per-bottle.

End-of-Harvest Double-Fun Wine Tastings Celebrations Information

Saturday, November 19, 2011, 11am-5pm
Minutes from Santa Cruz, Monterey, Morgan Hill and Gilroy, near the Watsonville Airport, at 18 Hangar Way, Watsonville, CA 95076
A $5 fee for wine tasting at each winery, refundable with any wine purchase
Santa Cruz Mountains Passport holders welcomed by Roudon-Smith at no charge, one per member. Passports also available for $40 each
Roudon-Smith Wine Club members welcomed at no charge, one per member
Roudon-Smith Winery website at: http://www.roudonsmith.com
Mica Cellars website at: http://www.micacellars.com

About Roudon-Smith Winery

One of the original wineries in the Santa Cruz Mountains Wine Appellation, Roudon-Smith Winery has nurtured a distinguished heritage of viticultural excellence and consistency since 1972, complemented by a contemporary passion and dedication to create quality, affordable wine. Encouraging the fruit from each selected vineyard to flourish in the winemaking process without manipulation to retain its true character, Roudon-Smiths winemaker, Brandon Armitage, subtly employs the use of oak just enough to enhance the personality of each vineyards harvest, ultimately transforming the fruit into fine, well balanced wine. Roudon-Smiths critically acclaimed wines are a perfect choice for entertaining and complement a broad selection of cuisines.

The Roudon-Smith tasting room is located at 18 Hangar Way, Watsonville, CA 95076, near the Watsonville Airport, just off of State Highway 1 and is open every Saturday from noon to 5pm. For information about Roudon-Smith Winery; membership in the Roudon-Smith Wine Club; wine events and retail locations and restaurants where Roudon-Smith wines can be purchased; or to purchase wine directly from the winery, please visit: http://www.roudonsmith.com or call: 831-438-1244.

About Mica Cellars
Winemaker Mica Raas, a Santa Cruz Mountains native, possesses an intimate knowledge of the micro terroir, soil, and climate that the Monterey Bay region offers, garnering his fruit exclusively from very small, family operated vineyards. He takes an holistic approach to making his well balanced and hand crafted artisanal wines, and focuses on the crafting of vineyard designates and field blends. Raas is committed to ensuring that all of the parts of each of his wines are in balance, yet he allows them to also all be expressed, each exhibiting a sense of place and varietal character. Through these meticulous efforts, Mica Cellars is able to showcase a collection of truly expressive and exceptional wines.

The Mica Cellars tasting room is located at 18 Hangar Way, Watsonville, CA 95076, near the Watsonville Airport, just off of State Highway 1 and is open every Saturday from noon to 5pm. For information about Mica Cellars; wine events and retail locations and restaurants where Mica Cellars wines can be purchased; or to purchase wine directly from the winery, please visit: http://www.micacellars.com or call: 831-227-4916.

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The Little Black Book of WineThe Little Black Book of WineThe Little Black Book of Wine: A Simple Guide to the World of Wine serves up everything you need to know about wine, minus the pretense. Demystifies lingo and lore and teaches how to serve, preserve, store, and evaluate wines.

Covers wine terms, developing your wine sense, types of grapes, and wines of France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, U.S., Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, and Chile. It's a mini tour guide to wine country and beyond!
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How To Use Fine Italian Wine For Cooking

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Instead of going for a wonderful glass of your favorite fine Italian wine with dinner, consider utilizing the nectar of the gods as a possible ingredient within your preferred dish. Cooking with wine has not been popular as well as endless recipes abound that incorporate all different types of wine into favorite meals and unique spins on traditional cuisine. Once you cook along with Italian wines, the alcohol evaporates, therefore the dish will probably be right for individuals struggling to consume alcohol, underage eaters, or even people who do not wish to imbibe any kind of alcohol.

Many international meals involve wines, especially Italian, French, and also Spanish most favorite. An individual can use any kind of wine or even alcohol to prepare with, however Italian wines has significant fan following when it comes to cooking with wine. Whether or not you want to give a unique flavor or perhaps a powerful zest to your dishes, incorporating your chosen Italian wines may have everyone raving over your cooking abilities and also the dishes you serve.

The important thing to cooking with wine is to select good quality Italian wines. Just as quality instantly affects the drinking enjoyment of a glass of Italian wine, the quality will also modify the end taste of dinners that are well prepared using wines as an component. Keep in mindRemember, high quality wines are definitely not the more costly wine, thus avoid associating price with flavor. It’s safe to say when you enjoy drinking a specific vineyard’s wine, additionally, you will enjoy cooking with similar wine.

Furthermore, you ought to very carefully choose a Italian wines right for the dish.

Generally, the recipe you select will come with the correct Italian wines incorporated, but the traditional rules for serving wines with food relates to including the wine as ingredients with food. Many people choose to make with white wine for any tangier, crisp flavor and choose red wines for heartier dishes, such as those filled with tasty cuts of meat.

Though water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit, alcohol has a much lower boiling point, about 175 degree Fahrenheit. Because of this, it’s easy to eliminate alcohol in Italian wine, in reality, roughly 40 % of your alcohol is boiled in roughly 15 minutes. At some point, the Italian wine will certainly become a heavy syrup is boiled long enough. This syrup is ideal for use being a glaze with meat or vegetables.

Once the alcohol has been disappeared, the flavors are highlighted.

Also, alcoholic beverages, including Italian wine, brings out the taste of tomatoes along with other materials. Attempt to add a bit of white Italian wine to tomato salsas to get the flavors.

There are a variety of cooking wine available on the market, but you must steer clear of the products, because they are of lower excellent when compared to a fine Italian wines and usually include a large amount of sodium. Nonetheless, if you are a collector of fine Italian wines, save these delicious beverages on the heat, because the alcohol will only be evaporated and the need for your wine is going to be lost. There are a variety of top quality Italian wine on the market that are perfect for cooking. Pick rich, fruity wines for dessert meals and strong white wine beverages for sauted or baking dishes.

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WineMatch Now Makes it Fun and Easy to Find Wine with WheelPlay

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Laguna Hills, CA (PRWEB) December 15, 2011

WineMatch.com, a wine portal designed to match wine to a users’ preferences, has delivered on its promise to wineries to further engage the consumer by adding a fun interactive component to its proprietary industry-leading high-tech wine matching engine. The interactive component called WheelPlay allows people to better understand their wine choices and leverage existing wine preferences in domestic wines to shape a better future wine experience.

Never before has it been so easy to find wine that matches what you like and often times with a deal Each person has their own wine preferences and with WheelPlay, its easy to find the wines that match your taste as an alternative to the current wine rating systems. says Ed Leard, WineMatch founder.

A consumer can use the wheel one of two ways. In the first scenario, a consumer can go to http://www.winematch.com and find a wine they like. They can then ask the wheel for more fruit or less tannins or more aroma by simply moving the values and clicking, which causes the resulting wine list below to refresh immediately. The second scenario can be accomplished by simply going to http://www.wheelplay.com, where no wines are selected and the consumer can shape the wheel and look at the result set. In both scenarios, the left side menu allows additional filtering for alcohol content, free sulfite content, bottle formats, regions and other values.

In the near future, these consumer-created profiles will be able to be saved and become another basis for matching, in addition to any wines the consumer has added into their favorites. To fully benefit from WineMatch and be able to save a profile or place wines into their favorites, the consumer needs to create a free login using a WineMatch user name and password, or alternately use their existing facebook or twitter account to gain access.

Winematch uses multiple sensory plus high-end chemistry and sophisticated proprietary algorithms to create a wine profile or a wine fingerprint, which becomes the basis for matching wines that are similar. The goal for the consumer is to increase the hit-to-miss ratio of finding wines they like, making it a more pleasurable and rewarding experience.

For wineries, WineMatch effectively removes obstacles of the winery-to-consumer model and allows wineries to keep more revenue to create a winning outcome for both the consumer and the winery.

Contact information: public-email wmadmin(at)winematch(dot)com, 949 273 5300
Industry contact: ed(at)winematch(dot)com

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Enjoy 4 Days of Wine Tasting In Santa Barbara

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A sumptuous libation regularly called for during festivities, wine is one thing that seldom fails to leave a smile. Napoleon Hill once said, “Wine is inspiring and adds greatly to the joy of living.”

That is the reason why, if you are visiting Santa Barbara California, you shouldn’t miss touring the exceptional wineries situated along the coast.

Santa Barbara Wine Tasting Itinerary

There are 8 wineries in Santa Barbara within easy walking distance of accommodations near the beach. Eight more wineries are found within a short drive of the Santa Barbara waterfront. Together there are enough wineries to fill 4 days of wine tasting close to the ocean.

Why visit only four wineries per day?

A typical tasting serving equals approximately 1 ounce of wine. After tasting wines at four wineries you’ll have consumed the equivalent of four servings (16 ounces or more) of wine! Once you feel tipsy, your palate will have become too dulled to taste the subtleties of any more wine.

So to make the best of your Santa Barbara wine tasting experience, follow this easy plan:

Day 1

The 1st day is all about getting familiar with the Funk Zone. It’s a trendy ocean front area in Santa Barbara where you can enjoy unique art, crafts, food and, wine. The wineries on today’s tour are the following:

– Kalyra Winery
– Giessinger Winery
– Santa Barbara Winery
– Oreana Winery

Day 2

On Day 2, take a look at these other Funk Zone wineries and try the wine they have to taste:

– Cottonwood Canyon Winery
– Kunin Wines
– Municipal Winemakers
– Conway Family Wine

Day 3

Today you can travel down the Pacific Coast Highway to Summerland, a few miles south-east of Santa Barbara. Plan some time to go to Summerland Beach while there. It’s one of the best beaches in Santa Barbara County.

– Summerland Winery Boutique
– Carr Winery
– Margerum Wine Company
– Au Bon Climat

Day 4

Your final day of wine tasting in Santa Barbara requires a little advance notice. The following Santa Barbara wineries have limited tasting hours or require appointments for tasting. So be certain to arrange your tasting times in advance:

– Sanguis
– Silver Wines
– Whitcraft Winery
– Jaffurs Wine Cellars

By the time you have completed this four day itinerary, you’ll have tasted some of the best wines that Santa Barbara County has to give.

Delia White is the Editor of Discover Santa Barbara, an Insider’s Travel Guide To Santa Barbara County California. Visit www.Discover-Santa-Barbara.com to discover more about these Santa Barbara Wineries. Copyright Notice: Authorization to re-publish this article is granted, provided the text, author’s credit, active links and copyright notice remain intact.

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Australian wine selection expanding all of the time

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For a nation that has no native grapes, Australia has developed a broad wine industry including lots of the most familiar Western european kinds and excelling in manufacturing wines from many of them. Australia’s Shiraz, as an example, originally from France’s northern Rhne and known around the globe as Syrah, has been such a success that other winemakers have begun using Australia’s term for the red wine variety.

Shiraz is the most popular red wine produced in Australia but Cabernet Sauvignon is close behind, produced principally around the Coonawarra and Margaret Brooks. Merlot has become more popular lately as Australian wine customers notice the popularity of the grape abroad, particularly in the Usa, and Pinot Noir is utilised for sparkling wines, especially when blended with Chardonnay.

Red wine types have long dominated Australia’s wine scene but the country also produces a number of critical white varieties. Of these, Chardonnay is by far the most popular, with production more than double that of its closest rival, Semillon, which till 1982 was the country's dominant white variety. The grapes are grown mainly round the Margaret Brook, the Adelaide Hills, the Hunter Valley and the Melbourne “Dress Circle.”

Semillon, despite its decline in favour, is an Australian rarity. The wines produced from grapes grown around the Hunter Valley have a unique flavour particularly when they have been left to mellow for five to seven years. Today nevertheless , drinkers are much more likely to prefer an Australian Riesling. Muscat grapes are also grown in Australia and some are used to supply fortified wines.

In addition to those traditional wine types though, consumers have also shown an interest in more modern types, and growers have been avid to experiment. Other red wines lately produced in Australia include Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and even Sangiovese, better known as the local specialty of Tuscany.

But it is not just the range of grapes, with types from all over the world coming together in Australia’s varied climates, that sets the states wines apart. It's also the way they're produced. While other wine industries have had a tendency to target producing single-grape wines, usually from single regions, Australia’s winemakers are pleased to blend. Terroir is restricted to the top labels and most wines are produced with an eye fixed on the flavour of the grape rather than the place — or places — the grape was grown.

This content was brought to you by Fascinating Wines and describes the Wine Types of Australia

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Wine Tasting Los Angeles

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Because of the swell in interest on the subject of wine that wine tasting has grown to be such an enormous organization. Additionally, you have to understand that wine tasting Los Angeles is an event and is hardly ever informal. This can be why you have to be sure that you simply look for the proper chance with regard to wine tasting Los Angeles. Though there are various forums cocooned within the web, you also newsletters that would go to the proper areas, which would aid in obtaining locations. It is greatest that you simply comprehend the whole process 1st prior to going in any further.

Though this really is naturally the initial step, there is also the portion exactly where the aroma from the wine is looked in as well. The third stage would be exactly where the sensations within the mouth are tasted finally finished off by the aftertaste that the wine provides. All these stages are accomplished using the aim of obtaining out regardless of whether this truly is a worthy wine. All in all, issues like the character and complexity ought to be assessed. After that it requirements to become checked regardless of whether there is usually something incorrect using the wine.

While there are numerous enthusiasts who are into wine tasting Los Angeles, it could be complete foolishness to go to one of these events with out understanding what it really is all about. Wine tasting is essentially rather a multifaceted approach that does will need an incredible deal of respect. With this in view it really is very best that we get into a number of stages of wine tasting Los Angeles. Initially and foremost, what you need to keep in mind is that a wine poured into a glass is assessed based on its appearance or color.

You must evaluate numerous things after which make your mind up to ensure that it really is far better to determine whether the wine is right for the procedure of drinking or aging. As a way to guarantee that that there is certainly neutrality in terms of wine tasting Los Angeles, the wine ought to be served as a blind test. This way the wine tasters would not have at any point seen the label or the wine bottle. Rather the wine is just served in a wine glass and also the wine taster would decide an assortment of strengths and weaknesses present. It also needs to become stated that in terms of wine tasting Los Angeles, many varieties of wines are assessed.

You may end up enjoying red wine or white wine. But these aren’t all which might be assessed; wines like dessert wines will also be considered into this at the same time. For that reason, you’ll want to guarantee that you simply know what the procedure is in terms of wine tasting Los Angeles.

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Summer – Best Time to Visit the Wineries in Santa Barbara

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Santa Barbara is a great vacation destination at any time of the year. However, if you want to fully enjoy its downtown beaches and coastal climate, summer is the best time to go there. There are many activities that you can do but wine tours are also becoming popular over the years. The wineries are a great place to spend a day where you can taste some of Santa Barbara’s specialty wines like Chardonnays and Pinot Noir. You can also get to witness the complicated yet beautiful process of grape growing.

In the months of June to September, Santa Barbara is packed with exciting events and festivities. Some wineries host fun-filled activities like photo contests, symposiums, movie nights, and chocolate tasting throughout summer. But the main attraction is the Santa Barbara Summer Solstice Parade. It is the most popular and largest event every year. It is a grand event filled with outrageous floats, street fairs, concerts, and theater performances that you can check out while in Santa Barbara.

The weather in Santa Barbara is very ideal for tourists and wine enthusiasts alike. It is hot in most areas of the wine country but regions closer to the Pacific are cooler which makes wine tours a more pleasurable experience. During daytime, the climate is warm and sunny while at nighttime, the wind is cool and crisp. At noon, you can set up a picnic in one of the picture perfect spots in the wineries and at night you can enjoy a stroll at the beach.

During summer, the vegetation in wine regions is lush providing a greener and more relaxing atmosphere. You will also get to witness the grapes in their most crucial stage in their growth cycle. Growing grapes is very delicate and too much heat or too much cold can upset the entire process. But if all goes well, vineyard owners will celebrate a great harvest in the months of September and October. This is one of the busiest times of the year and crowds can be expected. But you can always set up an appointment with the wineries ahead of time to avoid the busiest days.

Going on a wine tour in Santa Barbara during summer can be a fun and educational way to spend your vacation. Whether you go there for a day or for a whole weekend, you will have exciting and worthwhile memories that you will truly cherish.

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Australia's Mollydooker Wines Score Big & Sell Out — Reserves Available Winery-Direct on Their US Website

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Napa, CA (PRWEB) November 1, 2007

Winemaking superstars, Sarah & Sparky Marquis, are responsible for crafting some of America's favorite Australian wines. Having received five 99-point scores in the last five years, they're also the most decorated winemakers in the New World.

The current release includes 11 wines, 10 of which have just been awarded 90 points or higher from Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, and seven have received 90 or above from Wine Spectator.

Mollydooker is Aussie slang for “left-hander,” but you'll need both hands to grab these wines — they're nearly sold out through traditional retail channels. A reserve supply is now available on their Napa-based website (http://www.mollydookerwines.com).

Included are their famous Shiraz wines: The Boxer (94 points, $20), Blue Eyed Boy (96 points, $50) and Carnival of Love (97 points, $80). To celebrate, Sarah & Sparky are offering a “Celebration Shipping Special” of $.01 cent per bottle on all case orders placed before December 10th. (Some restrictions apply by state.)

Mollydooker's highly-coveted 2006 Velvet Glove Shiraz (99 pts, $175) is already sold out, but the U.S. website is also the place where people can join the mailing list for next year's release.

“Our passion has always been to make sure that the people who love our wines can get them. When people order wines direct on our U.S. website, we can personally be in touch, and can pretty much guarantee our customers at least some allocation of our wines for the following years,” says Sarah.

Mollydooker customers Tanis and Ric Lilygren from Virginia are among hundreds of customers who love the fact that they can purchase Mollydooker wines direct: “My husband and I were fortunate enough to experience the Carnival of Love and The Boxer last year. We were immediately spoiled and have never tasted better wines. We bought two cases from your website, received them at the end of June and now they're gone. Thank you for opening your website to direct orders”

Just in time for the holidays, Mollydooker is also offering four awesome gift packages (while supplies last):

Party in a Box ($330) The makings for an awesome wine party for you and your friends. Includes: a 12-bottle sampler of Mollydooker's most highly-allocated wines, 20 tasting mats, wine brochures, and directions for “How to do the Mollydooker Shake” It's the perfect way to share your favorite wines.

All You Need is Love ($150) The perfect pairing of Mollydooker's two high-scoring Love Wines, Enchanted Path (94 pts) and Carnival of Love (97 pts). What better wines can you think of to share on Christmas Eve when not a creature is stirring?

Party All The Time ($150) The perfect 3-pack to make you the life of the party, featuring three brand new, highly-rated wines including their ultra-premium Gigglepot Cabernet (95 pts), Blue Eyed Boy Shiraz (96 pts) and Goosebumps Sparkling Shiraz (87 pts).

Don't Get Left Behind ($120) Includes a 6-pack of the Lefty Wines (Mollydooker is Aussie for Left-Hander), which are some of the highest-rated wines from Australia under $20

For more information on all things Mollydooker, including available wines, gift packs and details on the consumer-direct shipping options, please contact: alicia@mollydookerwines.com.

Mollydooker's Wines score big with the critics View ratings

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Quintessential Reds Wine Gift CollectionQuintessential Reds Wine Gift CollectionOne of our most popular gift sets: sample six signature reds from the most famous wine regions in the world. For the wine adventurer in search of bold flavors, host your own taste-off to see how they compare. Each bottle is carefully chosen to represent the best example of red wine from its region. Wine Gift Collection Includes: France: Domaines Baron Rothschild Reserve Speciale Bordeaux Rouge Expressive and elegant, with smooth tannins and notes of dried fruit, this wine reflects why Bordeaux is the quintessential red of France. Italy: Frescobaldi Nipozzano Chianti Riserva This food-friendly wine, made from 90% Sangiovese, showcases the typical bright fruit and acidity of Tuscan wines. Argentina: Ricardo Santos Malbec This classic Malbec is plump and juicy, with deep color, ripe fruit and spice, velvety tannins and a weighty finish. Chile: Haras Estate Carmenere Distinctive and balanced with ripe black fruits and spices, the soft mouthfeel and balanced finish make this an ideal food wine. Australia: Peter Lehmann Clancy's A classic Aussie blend of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine is supple and silky, with lots of dark fruit, spice and chocolate. Spain: Bodegas Ramon Bilbao Crianza Crianza is a young style of wine from the region of Rioja, made from 100% Tempranillo. This wine has fresh, ripe berries and a backbone of toasty oak flavors. Greet Sheet with descriptions of six quintessential red grapes and the regions from which they hail. The description cards are perforated as 4x5 index cards to be torn off for future reference. Add six white varietals from famous wine regions with
Posted in Wine by Pablo Fava. Comments Off

2,015 Naked Wine Drinkers Vote in "Botanically Blessed" Wine Name

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Norwich, UK (PRWEB) November 2, 2009

UK wine drinker Hazel Rigazio has 2,015 Naked Wines' customers to thank for winning a winemaking trip to McLaren Vale, South Australia.

Naked Wines (http://www.nakedwines.com), along with bbcgoodfood.com and the Government of South Australia, ran a competition throughout September challenging customers to come up with a new name for a wine, with Hazel's entry Botanically Blessed winning the lion's share of the public vote.

“I asked all of my friends to vote for my entry, but I never imagined I'd get 2,015 votes let alone win the competition, I'm absolutely astounded It's a once-in-a-lifetime trip and I can't wait to roll up my sleeves, live the life of a winemaker, and blend my very own wine” explained Hazel.

Hazel, from Mersyside, will spend a week working alongside Naked Wines' producer Jock Harvey at his family-run winery Chalk Hill, and if all goes according to plan, customers will see her tipple Botanically Blessed for sale in the UK on the Naked site.

“We had over 5,000 entries in total, with some really strong contenders – and some pretty ropey and inappropriate ones too” explained Rowan Gormley, Founder of Naked Wines. ” But putting it to the public vote made it easy to pick the winner. We use our most interactive customers to help us select our wines, and it made sense to do the same with the competition.”

With the second most popular entry (ade-get-laide) receiving 433 votes, Hazel's entry was the outright favourite.

Other entries included Didgeribooze, Down Wonder, Aussie Drools and Not for the Sheilas, with one entrant including a label design of his naked girlfriend posing strategically inside a six-bottle box (Robert Young Photography).

Hazel's trip will include a stay on Kangaroo Island, a tour of Adelaide and numerous cellar-door tastings. And to find out how Hazel gets on, you can follow her blog at http://www.nakedwines.com/auscomp.

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The Wine BibleThe Wine BibleTHE MOST COMPLETE WINE BOOK EVER. A must for anyone who loves wine, whether they are a pro or an amateur. Thorough, authoritative, and entertaining. (Robert Mondavi, founder and chairman emeritus of the Robert Mondavi Family of Wines)

"The most informative and entertaining book I've ever seen on the subject." (Danny Meyer, co-author of The Union Square Cafe Cookbook)

The essentials: The romance and intrigue of Burgundy of sauvignon blanc and the surprising elegance of Spain's top Riojas. Italy, one of wine's most enchanting and ancient homelands. What makes a great wine great? The reason behind Champagne's bubbles. The precise and food-friendly wines of Germany. California, wine's Camelot. The lip-smackingly good wines of Australia. The complexities of Port revealed. How a vineyard profoundly affects a wine's character.

Plus, matching wine with food - and mood. The secrets of professional wine tasters and how to expand your wine-tasting vocabulary. And everything else you need to know to buy, store, serve, and enjoy the world's most captivating beverage.

The shimmering elegance of Veuve Clicquot, affordable luxury in a glass, page 185.

Ravishing, elegant, and rich, Petrus in Ingrid Bergman in red satin, page 156.

Some wines are like people... they get better as they get older, pg. 64.

Sherry, the world's most misunderstood and underappreciated wine, page 437.

Posted in Wine by Henry Tait. Comments Off