From stocking stuffers, artisan wines, 3, 6 or 12 month wine club membership, personalized wines and personalized gift boxes, lead-free crystal stemware, decanters, gift baskets and much more.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Start your Holiday Shopping Here!
From stocking stuffers, artisan wines, 3, 6 or 12 month wine club membership, personalized wines and personalized gift boxes, lead-free crystal stemware, decanters, gift baskets and much more.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Wines for Thanksgiving
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Choose Real Cork!
Here are some of the things I learned:
- Current testing indicates that wine taint from bottles closed with natural cork, is down to 1% there is no quality benefit to using an alternative closure. When given the opportunity to choose a sustainable, renewable, recyclable and quality closure, cork is and should be the number one choice.
- Cork is a 100% natural, renewable, recyclable and biodegradable material that is obtained through an environmentally friendly harvesting process.
- Based upon current estimates there is enough cork to close all wine bottles produced in the world, for the next 100 years. The cork forests are now being more sustainably managed than ever before in their history and new planting is always ongoing.
- Whole Foods is one of the donation sites for corks!
read more...
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Jazmin and Matt's tasting.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Lucky French Cows!
Red or white with beef? Either!
Happy French cows fed two bottles of wine a day to produce succulent gourmet ‘vinbovin’ meat
French cows are getting a taste of the lush life by being fed wine — the equivalent of two or three bottles a day for some cattle in the southern region of Herault.
The cattle’s owner claims it keeps them “happy,” and for the consumer, makes the meat a better-tasting product. Chefs are also swearing by imbibing bovines.
The meat, known as “vinbovin,” has a “very special texture, beautiful, marbled and tender, which caramelizes while cooking,” Laurent Pourcel, a three Michelin-star chef, said this month, according to The Telegraph.
Winemaker Jean-Charles Tastavy added that he came up with the idea when he first provided the cows a mix of grapes, barley and hay.
Read more:
Friday, July 27, 2012
Farewell Zinfandel
This is a classic wine with a dark robe and a complex nose: dry herbs, black pepper, toasted and light oak characters. The ripeness of these Old Vines provide a round and creamy mouthfeel. Beautiful flavors of cherries, cassis and oak tannins from barrel ageing complete the structure. This wine will stand easily with more ageing in the bottle, up to three years. Enjoy it with grilled meat, stews, wild game or many cheeses. Try the featured recipe of Savory-Backyard-Chicken on the back, which will pick up perfectly with many flavors found in this wine.
Mariana 2009 California Zinfandel |
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Wine Collecting: 10 Tips for Beginners
Have you ever considered starting a wine collection but were unsure how to begin? Here are some useful tips for any readers considering having more than a few dozen bottles around at the one time.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
40 Wine Descriptions and What They Really Mean
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Mythmaking and wine palates
The latest research seems to confirm the newest trend in wine -- that some of us are better at tasting wine than others. The study, conducted by researchers at Penn State and Brock University in Canada, found that the so-called experts can taste subtleties in wine that the rest of us can't.
This is just another in a long line of studies about wine palates that separate the world into people with various degrees of wine tasting ability. A Yale scientist, Linda Bartoshuk, divides the world into three groups: Super tasters, about 25 percent of the population; tasters, about 50 percent; and non-tasters, about 25 percent. The first group is above average, the second is average, and the third is below average.. Women are a little more than twice as likely to be super tasters as men, according to her work.
This is just another in a long line of studies about wine palates that separate the world into people with various degrees of wine tasting ability. A Yale scientist, Linda Bartoshuk, divides the world into three groups: Super tasters, about 25 percent of the population; tasters, about 50 p ercent; and non-tasters, about 25 percent. The first group is above average, the second is average, and the third is below average.. Women are a little more than twice as likely to be super tasters as men, according to her work.
Monday, March 19, 2012
5 Truths to Make You Smarter About Wine
Wine is an intricate and ever changing subject. However, there are a few fundamentals to keep in mind that are sure to make you appear more knowledgeable and sound more eloquent when it comes to wine.
1. Sweet wine is not the same as fruity wine. Many people confuse sweetness with fruitiness. If you ask for something ‘sweet,’ wine folks will assume you’re looking for a wine with residual sugar. In wine terms, sweet wine, which is the opposite of dry wine, contains leftover sugar that was not converted in to alcohol during the fermentation process. If what you’re actually looking for is a juicy wine dominated by fruity aromas and flavors, ask for a ‘fruity’ or ‘fruit forward’ wine.
2. There are no blueberries in the wine. You’ve no doubt seen wine notes overflowing with descriptors such as ‘chocolate’ and ‘blueberry’ or ‘cherry’ and ‘floral.’ Maybe you’ve even thought to yourself, “how do they get the blueberries in there?” There is only one basic ingredient in fine wine and that is grapes. These descriptions are simply perceptions of aromas and flavors and they provide a convenient way to have a conversation about wine. Wine notes can get carried away ─ camphor and turmeric?! ─ but they can also help you choose a wine that suits your palate.
downtownmagazinenyc.com/5-truths-that-will-make-you-smarter-about-wine/
Keep Calm and Drink Wine
Wine is art. Wine is sexy. Wine is passion.
Wine is the most intriguing drink created. Wine is part of religious ceremonies. Jesus turned water into wine and even drank wine with his disciples as part of everyday life. Wine is sipped not shot, savored not slammed. Wine is discussed, debated, sought after and collected.
But…
…for many, wine is confusing.
As someone who drinks a lot of wine, I’d like to offer three suggestions to help with your understanding of this mysterious nectar.
1. Drink more – okay, I realize this may have a controversial insinuation. I’m not encouraging abuse, I’m encouraging “practicing.” The best way to learn anything is keep at it. Go wine tasting, host wine parties, order wine with dinner. The more you try, the better your palate will get and you will notice the “subtle hints of cranberry and tobacco” that you used to read in wine tasting notes.
2. Drink new – I am an advocate for trying something new. Life is too short to drink the same wine every day. Explore, experiment, enjoy; with over 700 wineries in Washington, you can try something new every day for over 2 years before moving on to California or even France and Italy. Get out of your rut of buying 14 Hands or Kendall Jackson Chardonnay and expand your tastes.
3. Drink personal – You may have heard this before but, “drink what you like.” If you like a wine, that is your personal preference. Just because someone grades a wine 94 points doesn’t mean you will like it and it doesn’t always justify a higher price. While I am an advocate of wine reviews and scores, I think they are only a guide. If you drink more and drink new, you’ll discover your likes and dislikes without the influence of “experts.”
Enjoy life with friends, drink happy!
Friday, March 9, 2012
Officially Launched!!
On the menu last night:
Petit Cadeau Semi-Seco Sparkling
Lumiere de Vie 2010 Sauvignon Blanc
Talmage T Cellars 2010 Chardonnay
Lumiere de Vie 2010 Merlot
Halcyon 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon
Ceres Moonlight
Thanks to Diane for driving down from Virginia to share with me her support and expertise. And, a huge thanks to my amazing friends for coming over and trying Wine Shop at Home wines. I am really excited to host your upcoming parties!
Now it is time to get started! Please let me know if you would like to host a wine tasting party!
Sunday, March 4, 2012
U.S. is the Biggest Wine Drinking Country in the World
Read more.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
iPhone Wine Apps Reviewed
Hello Vino - free - looks like a good app for Searching and Food Pairing. This app focused on help you with your wine shopping, pairing, and helps you save and track your favorites. (Hello Vino has a competitor, Snooth wine pro. It is $4.99, and doesn't look like it has good reviews).
Vintagechart+ Wine Spectator Vintage Chart - free- Searching. Pretty cool. Wine spectator gives you the vintage, rating, and whether your bottle should be held or ready to drink.
Natlie MacLean - Free. I'm putting this one down for my Canadian family and friends. Looks like you can scan the bottle and get great info on any bottle from the LCBO. (note to Americans friends: LCBO.com has the BEST recipes. Add it to your bookmarks!)
Corkbin - This is the app I REALLY want. However, my ancient iphone won't let me download. We have been waiting for the right time to update our phones, I'm ready! It seems to satisfy what I was looking for- creating my virtual cellar.
WineMob - Free - connect with wine lovers! WineMob and Letspour seem to offer similar functionality. I am going to try WineMob.com, I prefer the look of their interface.Saturday, February 25, 2012
Upcoming Launch Tasting
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Cheers!
One of my best of friends invited me to her house for an at home party. Think tupperware, but they were going to show us bags. I'm not a bag person, not enthusiastic about the party, but I like spending time with my friend and there was mention of food and wine. I'm still not a bag person, although I did host my own party a month later and took care of some holiday shopping. I was most intrigued by the bag consultant. She was having fun, making it work with a family and full time career, and making a decent profit.
That party sparked my interest and I hit the Internet. I've stumbled on a new adventure that I think is the perfect fit for me through Wine Shop at home - conducting at home WINE tastings! Chitty chat (check), a little music (should be fine), food (yep), and wine (most definitely) - I'm excited!!