It makes sense that an $80 bottle of wine would taste better than a bottle on sale for $9.99.  But what if it’s the same exact wine with only a difference in price?

Researchers at the California Institute of Technology have conducted studies that seem to prove that the pleasure found in drinking wine is related to the price.  Consumers often had higher praise for a wine that was priced higher, even if in reality it was the same exact wine as that found in a bottle labeled with a lower price.

So, this can mean a couple of things.  You could continue to buy cheap wine but tell your friends that it was really expensive.  Or you could realize that it is possible to buy wine on a budget while also have the opportunity to purchase some great quality offerings.  Here are three simple steps when searching for great tasting, yet inexpensive wine. [Read more...]

Picking the right wine glass, or stemware, can be as important as picking the right wine.  The shape, size and color of a glass can have a direct result on the taste of the wine and by following a few simple steps you can insure that your dinner guests get the best experience possible when sampling your wine offerings.

At the first of the year, Champagne is a popular offering as you host a New Year’s party or any other celebration.  Champagne should be served in a slender tulip glass that can offer visual enjoyment of the bubbles while also allowing the bubbles to prolong the chill.

For other white wines a narrow wine glass works well at focusing the fragile aroma to the drinker’s nose.  For bolder red wines a glass with a bigger base works best. [Read more...]

You’ve probably heard that storing wine in your refrigerator is not the ideal place but if you lack the funds to invest in a wine cooler or wine specific fridge it can be an easy temptation to store your wine next to last night’s meatloaf.

There are several reasons why storing wine in the fridge is a bad idea and it’s good to understand these reasons for your own knowledge as a novice wine enthusiast.

Like your washing machine, food refrigerators vibrate.  The vibrations can be harmful to the wine because it slowly loosens the cork, allowing oxygen to seep into the bottle.  The vibrations from a refrigerator are also a reason not to store wine on top of the fridge or a kitchen counter that is touching the fridge and feeling its vibrations.

Humidity levels are also hard to control in a refrigerator and can be another form of  harm to the cork.  The bark of most corks can easily dry out and open the way for oxygen to get in.

The temperature in a food refrigerator is typically 20 degrees cooler than the ideal 55 degrees for wine aging.

It could be that putting that bottle of wine in the refrigerator is your only resort, which if that’s the case its best to only store wines in the fridge that you plan on drinking within three weeks.  Also, you should never drink wine straight out of the fridge because it will be served at too cold a temperature.  If you are someone who regularly stores wine in your fridge, especially longer than a month, you will be surprised at the difference in taste once you find an alternate storage location.

It’s cold outside, and I hate the cold. I was born and raised in the deep south where our winters consisted of rain and some slight chills here and there. But for most everywhere else, winters suck and leave most of us spending as little time outside as possible.

Last year I had a friend of mine pass along this recipe for Warm Sangria, a nice stomach-warming, alcoholic alternative for hot chocolate. Super easy to make and tastes friggin’ outstanding.

Warm Sangria

Ingredients:
1 cup frozen peaches
1 cup frozen cherries
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 peach schnapps
1 750ml bottle of dry red wine (I prefer something cheap like Blackstone Merlot).

In a medium bowl, stir together peaches, cherry and sugar. Let stand until thawed, usually about 1o minutes.

In a medium pot, bring the wine and fruit mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and stir in peach schnapps.

You can either strain the mixture and serve them in a coffee mug or you can leave the fruit chunks in (my preference).

Enjoy, and be sure to let me know how it tastes!

While I truly believe that we are breaking down the barriers that separate the wine enthusiasts from the wine snobs right and left, there is still a huge demographic of “experts” that are failing the wine renaissance horribly: Supermarket Liquor Department managers. [Read more...]

Many people claim that resveratrol, a polyphenol that is found in grapes, berries, peanuts, green tea and other foodstuffs,  is a miracle nutrient. In mice, it has been shown to extend life span, reduce heart disease, and boost energy and stamina. But the rodent testing grounds in laboratories across the world have let us down before, and resveratrol will be no different. [Read more...]

Most people know by now that wine is supposed to get better with age. What few people realize is that that little gem of information is a little less relevant now that wines are being mass produced in huge quanities across the planet. [Read more...]

Cabernet Sauvignon is a very bold and assertive wine, not for the faint of heart. Some people refer to the cab as “The King of Grapes” but in truth that can be attributed mostly to the grape’s thick skin and ability to grow in nearly any climate in the world. [Read more...]