Exploring Wine

Unfortunately, wine drinking tends to carry along some snobbery with it, especially among those who consider themselves to be connoisseurs. This can make it very difficult to know exactly what wine you should buy for your own gatherings. Even though you could buy the finest wine for your party, you might want to consider having boxed wine. Some people love having this around and others scoff at the idea. Is there such a thing as good boxed wine?
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Did you know having a glass of red wine a day is a healthy part of your diet regimen? Do you also know what wines compliment foods best? If not, here are some tips and suggestions on a wine for every meal.
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If you are unable to join a local wine club, you may find an online wine club suits your schedule and interests.

If there’s a country somewhere with only one citizen, it probably has a wine club with a dozen members. Once the province of the enthusiast or specialist, wine clubs are now as popular as Starbucks.

Wine clubs are founded for as many reasons as there are founders. Many are started in order to take advantage of group or special pricing available only to members. Others simply want to enjoy the variety that comes with receiving a new and often unexpected, vintage or vineyard every month. And, of course, a great many begin because the members seek the social interaction and the joy from sharing their favorites with others.

With a wine club comes an invaluable source of information about varieties, vintages and wineries from around the world. Clubs in every country exist that are devoted to the wines of that country, and other clubs seek out the new by exploring wines imported from elsewhere. French clubs investigate wines from Australia while Italians and Spaniards review wines from California – many made by relatives with family ties going back generations.

Some wine clubs are as new as ten minutes ago, others started over 100 years ago. Often the experts that found or join these clubs are equal in knowledge and experience, regardless of the age of the clubs. From these experts comes advice about wine glass preparation, tasting methods or home wine making tips along with recommendations for the best whites, reds or dessert wines.

There are clubs devoted to the product of a particular winery, often having been started by the owners themselves. These specialists can give early information about their own harvests, so enthusiasts can look forward in the coming years to sampling the finest these entrepreneurs offer. Such clubs will often make certain wines available only to club members and at reduced prices.

But at the end of the day, all the clubs provide their members with the expertise and experience of some of the world’s most knowledgeable and enthusiastic makers and drinkers of wine. And a mind-boggling amount of material it is.

The ease of sharing information worldwide and almost instantaneously, made possible by e-mail and the Internet, has produced a cornucopia of opinions about every aspect of wine. Debates rage about best vintage, pairing, vineyards, pros and cons of soil and climate types and on and on.

Online wine clubs offer opportunities to learn more about wine making, wine regions, wine varieties, and the mystic surrounding selecting and tasting fine wine.

Wine clubs are springing up all over the country – not only because of our fondness for wine, but also because of a basic need to gather and discuss subjects that are dear to us.

Now that medical experts have recognized the health benefits of wine, more people are becoming interested in learning about wine and how to choose the best wines for they can afford. Good and even great wines are priced for every pocketbook. Just because a wine is less expensive, doesn’t mean it won’t hold up in taste to the pricier ones.

With the popularity of wine on the increase, it won’t be difficult to start your own wine club. The basic idea is to find others who are also interested in wine and pick a time and day that you can get together on a regular basis – usually once a month.

1. Select a leader to get things going and plan the meetings. Then, put the word out to others about what you’re doing. Choose members for your club that will be reliable in attendance and passionate in their devotion to wine.
2. Decide in advance how much you are willing to spend each month.
3. Limit your membership – don’t have over ten members when you begin the club. Too many members will lessen the possibility of developing a close camaraderie with others in the club.
4. Suggestions for monthly wine selections are readily available from wine enthusiast magazines or online articles about new and innovative wines. Choose one person to be in charge of gathering the wines. Later, you can split the bill.
5. You’ll also want to have a nice selection of wine glasses on hand. They can be inexpensive, but be sure that you have enough so that each person has his own glass for each type of wine that you’ve selected.

Online offer great selections of wines at great prices. You may want to begin with some good domestic wines. Find out all you can about the vineyards, grapes and production methods used for the wines you’ve selected so that you can discuss it at the meeting.

Remember to focus on the educational aspect of the wines. You’ll need rating charts that are available at wine shops, online and through wine magazines. Each of your members will be rating the characteristics of the wines. Then, you can compare them to see if you all agree.

There is so much to learn about wines that your club will never be at a loss about what to discuss and learn. Share and Enjoy!

Recommended resources:

• The Wine Club: A Month-by-Month Guide to Learning About Wine with Friends
• Wine Spectator’s Ultimate Wine Tasting Kit
• The Wine Tasting Party Kit: Everything You Need to Host a Fun & Easy Wine Tasting Party at Home

This year why not try a festive Mulled Wine, here’s an easy recipe that anyone can make.

Ingredients

• 2 bottles of inexpensive red wine
• 2 ounces of brandy
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• A handful of cloves
• A dash of nutmeg
• 2 lemons
• 2 oranges
• ¼ cup sugar

Directions

1. Wash and cut lemons and oranges into slices (leave the peels on).
2. Place wine in a large sauce pan and slowly simmer, but do not bring to a boil. This should take about 15 minutes.
3. Add cut lemons, oranges, brandy, spices and sugar when the liquid is hot.
4. Leave to simmer approximately 20 minutes
5. Garnish with cinnamon sticks

Serve warm in mugs or glasses.

Festive Wine Glasses

You might want to buy the 12 Days of Christmas wine glasses from JC Penney. Originally $69.99, the glasses are now on sale for $29.99.

If you are looking for a gift for wine lovers, consider looking online for unique wine glasses like these.

Blessed with a Mediterranean climate similar to France or California, Chile has the added advantage of being south of the equator. That puts their summers from November to March, allowing vineyards to harvest wine grapes during the off-season of many other countries. Time shifting allows them to satisfy the market when others can’t.

This has served Chilean wine producers well since vineyards were first planted in the mid-16th century. By the mid-18th century the country saw the importation of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Regrettably, by the mid-20th century the industry was stagnant, producing inferior wines. But a 21st century renaissance has seen vintners produce world class wines again, taking several major prizes in recent years.

The country is divided, like France’s appellations, into several viticultural regions running north to south along this sliver of land in South America. Some lie in the fertile central plain 750ft (229m) above sea level, others are closer to the famous Andes. The area has seen superior growth in recent years, growing from only 12 wineries to over 90.

Chardonary in the Valley of Casablanca, Chile
Photo courtesy of www.sxu.hu

Blessed not only with good weather but, because of its unique geography, the region has never been affected by the Phylloxera louse that devastated so many European vineyards. When France and others looked to rebuild in the 1870s, they imported much of their stock from Chile.

Not only is the weather similar to France, but many of the names would be immediately recognized by vintners there. Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, and others. German varieties are represented too: Gewürztraminer and Riesling are plentiful.

The reds of Chile have become the country’s most notable exports. Chile is the fourth largest exporter of wine to the United States. A significant distinction, considering the U.S. has an enormous wine industry of its own. As long ago as 1998 it passed 5.3 million bottles and has continued to grow since.

Many of these premium wines come from vineyards sited in cooler areas with poorer soils. Along with modern pruning techniques, the result concentrates the flavors. Adding stainless steel fermenting tanks alongside French oak barrels has brought Chile’s wines to the pinnacle of world wine making.

In the Apalta Valley, for example, conditions are ideal for Merlot, Syrah, and other favorites of the California market. Produced from grapes grown on 50-year-old vines in sandy soil, it competes with the best anywhere. Those seeking a superior, full-bodied wine will look for the Montes Alpha ‘M’ designation.

While still small in size, at around 2,500 hectares (6,200 acres) total under cultivation, Chile can still produce one of the finest Syrahs anywhere. The peppery product from the cooler Elqui Valley is the envy of vintners from Australia to California. The warmer, southern Colchagua region offers a fruity version that competes well with those of the Hermitages of France.

With the shackles of its past now receding from memory, Chile is well poised to take its proper place among the major quality producers of the world.

Related resources:

• The Wines of Chile promotional website has a great interactive map of the “Wine Valley.”
• The Wine Travel website is a must for anyone planning a visit to Chile.