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Wine 100 Point Rating System

2006-08-13T12:15:44Z

NY Times - THE 100-point rating system is imperfect, said James Laube, the Spectator’s chief critic of California wines. But he also sees it as the best safeguard against paying too much for a painfully mediocre product, especially if someone takes the time to read his tasting notes.

About HinsdaleCellars.com

2006-07-22T23:55:30Z

Bricks-and-mortar cellar becomes an online seller Here’s a new marketing tactic to launch an e-retailing business: tales from a death march. That’s just one part of the web-based content offerings from new e-retailer HinsdaleCellars.com, launched by entrepreneurs Sean Chaudhry, a suburban Chicago wine merchant, and Steve Woodward, a communications professional.

]]> The retailer carries ultra-premium, limited allocation wines from around the globe. As part of the online retailing operation, HinsdaleCellars.com posts a monthly newsletter, dubbed Vintelligence, on its site, which it soon will offer as an opt-in e-mail newsletter. Vintelligence presents news and commentary from national and international wine experts. Jorge’s Death March, for example, is a tour of premium Spanish wineries led by importer Jorge Ordonez. The newsletter features a diary by the importer direct from one of his tours.

Launched June 21, the e-retailer is using Google Adwords and relying on natural search to drive traffic and sales.

“In the opening weeks since our launch, many of our ultra-premium offerings all but disappeared soon after they crossed the connoisseurs’ radar,” says co-founder Sean Chaudhry, who operates Hinsdale Wine Shop and The Cellar Door in Chicago’s western suburbs. “Premium and ultra-premium wine connoisseurs are excellent at finding what they’re looking for, rather than the other way around. Collectors are very search-savvy. So for now we did search optimization on our site and are using Google Adwords."

Winebuys.com hires investment firm

2006-07-19T01:59:27Z

Discount wine seller Winebuys.com LLC has hired investment firm Eagle Partners LLC to manage its search for a strategic partnership or merger target, Winebuys said today.

]]> Winebuys CEO Hal Gershman said the goal is to find another company or consortium that can help the retailer to grow at a greater economy of scale. Launched in September 2003, Winebuys.com had 2005 revenue more than double that of 2004, the retailer says. It specializes in offering daily discounts on its entire wine selection and its site offers shopping features that let customers search by wine taste and by combinations of wine and food.

1888 Wines The Heineman Winery

2006-02-04T20:28:01Z

The Heineman Winery was founded in 1888 by Gustav Heineman, an immigrant from Baden-Baden, Germany, the grape growing region of that country. The Lake Erie Islands were already noted for the quality grapes as a result of ideal soil conditions and the long growing season because of the tempering effect of Lake Erie.

]]> For over 100 years, producing some of Ohio's finest wines. Tour the winery and Crystal Cave. Wines and grape juice tastings in our beautiful wine garden.

Tours daily, May 5 - Sept. 25, 11:00 am - 5.00 pm.
Winery open daily; mid April through late October, 11:00 am - 7:00 pm. Sunday; open at noon.

Wine Country Real Estate

2006-02-04T20:23:13Z

If you are looking for a first home, second home, or vacation property there is no better place to buy than the wine country real estate . Be surrounded by vineyards, live on a farm, a ranch, or on an estate; there is so much to pick from and the lifestyle can't be beat. Napa Valley Real Estate

Local Wine Events Web Site

2006-02-03T12:21:53Z

Learn How To Taste Wine

2006-02-03T06:58:33Z

From Stacy Slinkard - Look Pour a glass of wine into a suitable wine glass. Then take a good look at the wine. What color is it? Look beyond red, white or blush. If it's a red wine is the color maroon, purple, ruby, garnet, red or even brownish. If it's a white wine is it clear, straw-like, golden, light green, pale yellow or brown in appearance?

]]> 2. Still Looking. Move on to the wine's opacity. Is the wine clear, cloudy, transparent or opaque? Tilt your glass a bit, give it a little swirl - look again, you are looking at color, clarity, brilliance (sounds like you're finding the perfect diamond!) - is there sediment, bits of cork or any other floating bits? An older red wine will be more translucent than younger red wines.

3. Smell Our sense of smell is critical in properly analyzing a glass of wine. To get a good impression of your wine's aroma, gently swirl your glass (this will enhance the wine's natural aromas) and then take a quick whiff to gain a first impression.

4. Still Smelling. Now stick your nose down into the glass and take a deep inhale through your nose. What are your second impressions? Do you smell oak, berry, flowers, vanilla or citrus? A wine's aroma is an excellent indicator of its quality and unique characteristics.

5. Taste Finally, take a taste. Start with a small sip and let it roll around your tongue. There are three stages of taste:

6. Taste - After gathering your initial impression of the wine, allow a small breath of air in through your lips and allow the wine to mingle with the air (called swirling). This will allow you to taste flavors more fully (even if you look or sound a bit funny). What do you taste? Reds will often have berry, woody and bell pepper tastes. White wines will often have apple, floral or citrus flavors associtated with them.

7. Initial Taste - This is your first impression of the wine's components and flavors.

8. Finish - The wine's finish is how long the flavor lasts after it is swallowed. Did it last several seconds? Was it light-bodied (like water) or full-bodied (like the consistency of milk)?

9. After you have taken the time to taste your wine, you might record some of your impressions. Did you like the wine overall? Does it taste better with cheese, bread or a heavy meal? Will you buy it again? If so, jot the wine's name, producer and year down for future reference.

Wine Making in France

2006-01-30T19:00:10Z

Wine Making in France - There is only one unique method of making wine. That is the beauty of wine as winemakers are also responsible for the incredible diversity of wines we can choose from. Needless to say that winemaking requires "savoir-faire" and experience.

]]> 11 steps to make wine - The following steps are informative only! They give an idea how wine is made:

1. plantation (or grafting) of a vine stock
2. growing of the grape-bunch
3. harvesting the grapes
4. de-stemming* and crushing the grapes
5. alcoholic fermentation of the liquid
6. maceration*
7. raking the wine
8. malolactic fermentation
9. maturation of the wine
10. bottling the wine
11. tasting the wine

* : only for red wine, normally

Must : it is the grape-juice produced by crushing.

Alcoholic fermentation : the juice becomes wine under the natural action of yeast which changes sugar in alcohol.

Maceration : the pomace (skin, pips and stems) impregnate the must giving body and color.

Raking : pomace and must are separated. The must becomes "vin de goutte", the pomace becomes "vin de presse".

Malolactic fermentation : under the action of natural bacteria, the harsh malic acid changes itself in lactic acid supple and stable.

Maturation : the wine is clarified and put in casks/barrels to stabilize and perfects itself.

Epicurious.com

2006-01-30T18:53:37Z

Epicurious.com, a CondéNet site, incorporates over 20,000 recipes from brands in food journalism, Gourmet, Bon Appétit and Self magazines, as well as original material on cooking, entertaining, and cocktails.

]]> CondéNet is the leading creator and developer of upscale lifestyle brands online, providing enjoyable, useful services that tie into and build upon the heritage of the world's most prestigious magazines.

About Wine tasting Contests

2006-01-30T04:05:31Z

Sean S. The number one item to consider for a wine tasting and I mean NUMBER ONE is to ask that the people attending the tasting do not wear cologne or perfume! There is nothing worse than trying to taste a 1985 Stags Leap Cask 23 standing next to someone wearing 2 oz of Polo

How To Make Wine The Wine Fermenting Process

2006-01-29T18:01:11Z

Grapes get crushed with or without the skins and left to ferment. Bits are removed from the juice and some disinfectanta are used counter any bad stuff (mold and bacteria) that were on the grapes.

]]> The liquidy stuff "must" is left to complete the fermentation process in big steel vats or wooden barrels. The barrel process takes a longer period of time to process. In addition, the barrel process makes it much more difficult to maintain the precise temperature, but the end product is much better and cost more.

Once the wine is fermented, the vintner will pull out the nibblets. The good vineyards will age the wine for years in oak barrels, which will infuse the wine with positive woody hints. A smaller vineyard will store the wine long enough for to be poured into bottles and boxed.

How To Pour Wine At A Dinner Party

2006-01-29T07:05:55Z

Pour wine towards the center of the glass, sparkling wines should be poured against the

]]> side of the glass to preserve bubbles. In order to control drips, twist the bottle slightly as you tilt it upright. When pouring wine, fill the glass no more than two-thirds. At a dinner party, serve wine to the women and older guests first, then the men and end with your own glass.

About Wine Tasting Techniques

2006-01-29T06:55:33Z

About tasting wine: tasting techniques, the relationship between smell and taste, and the truth about taste buds. The front and back of the tongue contain the taste buds and rather than specializing in a particular taste sensation, all taste buds are capable of detecting sweet, sour, bitter and salty flavours.

]]> Look You can tell much about a wine simply by studying its appearance. The wine should be poured into a clear glass and held in front of a white background (a tablecloth or piece of paper will serve nicely) so that you can examine the colour.

Rim colour: You can guess the age of a red wine by observing its "rim." Tilt the glass slightly and look at the edge of the wine. A purple tint may indicate youth while orange to brown indicates maturity.

Smell Swirl your wine. This releases molecules in the wine allowing you to smell the aroma, also called the bouquet or nose.

Taste The most important quality of a wine is its balance between sweetness and acidity.

1. Initial taste: This is where the wine awakens your senses (your taste buds respond to sensations).
2. Taste: Slosh the wine around and draw in some air Examine the body and texture of the wine. Is it light or rich? Smooth or harsh?
3. Aftertaste: The taste that remains in your mouth after you have swallowed the wine. How long did the taste last? Was it pleasant?

California Wine Economic Impact

2006-01-28T22:05:12Z

California Wine Economic Impact - The California wine industry has an annual impact of $45.4 billion on the state’s economy, growing nearly 40 percent from 1998 to 2002, and producing the number one finished agricultural product in the state, according to an 81-page report released by the Wine Institute and California Association of Winegrape Growers at the World Trade Club in San Francisco.

The California Wine Institute

2006-01-28T21:57:47Z

The Wine Institute - is the public policy advocacy association of California wineries. Wine Institute brings together the resources of 840 wineries and affiliated businesses to support legislative and regulatory advocacy, international market development, media relations, scientific research, and education programs that benefit the entire California wine industry.