Giving gifts can be stressful. Hopefully this provides you with a few options of openers for your friends, family, and maybe for yourself. Some version of opener is essential to have on hand for all wine lovers. Unfortunately, they can break, or get lost so it is a good idea to have more than oneContinue reading “Holiday Gift Ideas – Wine Openers”
Category Archives: Wine Basics
Will these Wildfires Impact the Wines that I love?
The answer here is tricky. Maybe they will and maybe they won’t. Wildfires seem to be getting more common. In California, the peak wildfire season is also the peak of the grape harvest. Researchers are finding that the closer to harvest that the grapes are at the time of a fire event the more likelyContinue reading “Will these Wildfires Impact the Wines that I love?”
How Should Wine be Stored?
The proper storage of wine is essential if you are interested in holding on to it for a while. The first thing to know is that wine should be stored at the proper temperature – keep it cool. Somewhere in the range of 45-65°F. Ideally the wine is kept at a fairly consistent temperature withinContinue reading “How Should Wine be Stored?”
Organic Wine
To put it simply, organic wines are made from organically grown grapes with no added sulfites. However, nothing is simple. For this post I am only discussing organic wine in the US. Wines around the world are made “organically” and the regulations for those are different than they are for US producers. Organically grown grapesContinue reading “Organic Wine”
Vegan Wine?
Many people have asked me why a wine is not vegan. Well… it might not be depending on the winemaking practices. If wine is fermented, aged, and bottled without intervention then it is vegan. Grapes, yeast, barrels, and sulfites are all vegan. If on the other-hand, the winemaker takes steps to speed up the releaseContinue reading “Vegan Wine?”
How to Read a US Wine Label
There are a number of pieces of information that can be on a label. They are not all required. They do not have to be in any particular order on the label. BRAND NAME: This is the name of the wine producer, or the specific brand – if they make several different brands. This isContinue reading “How to Read a US Wine Label”
The Many Things That Influence How a Wine Tastes
This wine tastes sexy like a racehorse…. or does it? The comment about a wine tasting sexy like a racehorse is paraphrased from a winemaker that I used to work with. Those of us tasting with her wondered… wtf does that even mean? Has she tasted a racehorse? Do they really taste sexy? If aContinue reading “The Many Things That Influence How a Wine Tastes”
What is the best wine?
Red, White, Rose, Sparkling, Still, Sweet, Dry, Expensive, Budget Friendly? The very best wine… is the one that you like. Many people believe that some wines are better than others. There are plenty of people who will tell you that they are connoisseurs and therefore the wine they enjoy is what you should like. TheseContinue reading “What is the best wine?”