wine tip

There is no better way to get to know a variety of wine than going to a wine tasting. It is a unique opportunity to taste wines
have an expert guide you through the tasting
give them points according to your own tastes
and then
by the end of the evening
have a great idea of the type of wine that is your favourite.

When you are at a wine tasting
you taste the wine with a group of people
sometimes familiar people
sometimes strangers
making it a great opportunity to get ideas from others. Other people will have tried different bottles of wine to you previously and will be happy to share their views on which wine goes with which type of food and how to keep wine at its best once the bottle has been opened.

Wine tastings happen regularly across the country and beyond. They are usually held in interesting locations in city centres
such as art galleries
museums
or other heritage buildings. They often have producers of wine in attendance as well as experts
to guide you through the evening and offer advice if needed.

In addition to wine on offer
canap้s or hors d’oevres are often served as well
making for a great night out
discovering new tastes and hopefully finding a new wine to fall in love with.

Not only are wine tastings a great way to get to know a new wine
it is also a fantastic way to meet fellow wine lovers and who knows
by the end evening
you could have made a new friend or two.

Most wine tastings only last for a couple of hours – any longer and you would have forgotten the first wine that you have tried. It is a good idea to make sure you don’t drink too much too quickly
as you will be mixing different types of wine
and you don’t want to end up buying something you didn’t really like
or having a splitting headache in the morning.

Wine tastings are held all over the country
from Bristol to Durham
at Lancaster to Salisbury.

There is bound to be one close to you. In addition to wine tastings
some companies hold wine dinners
where you get to taste wine in conjunction with indulging in a great meal.

Wine tastings come in a couple of different formats. There is a more formal
intimate set-up
which could feature fine wines and more information on a smaller number of wines. There is also the less formal setting where you walk around tasting a larger variety of wines
but this lacks the intimacy and the expertise of the more formal gathering.

If you are interested in wine tastings
why not check out an independent online retailer where you will find more information on this service.

Many wine drinkers dream of finding an exciting discovery from far-off lands at a great price … unfortunately the reality is usually wildly different.

Today a few large wineries produce the majority of bottles you find on the high street and names like Hardys and Blossom Hill dominate the supermarket shelves. Many wine merchants and supermarkets are simply looking to secure the best price possible on easy-drinking
bulk wines from a large manufacturer. So if you want something a little different it’s not much use scanning the shelves in your corner shop or local supermarket – all you’re likely to find is mass-produced wine made for simple glugging!

However there is hope … the advent of the Internet and growing interest in wine (especially in the UK) has made it far easier (and cheaper!) for the average wine consumer to order interesting wines.

A quick search for wine online reveals a number of wine merchants offering a vast range of bottles with handy information about each one. According to online monitor Hitwise
websites operated by Laithwaites receive more online hits than those of any other wine merchant. Browse laithwaites and you will find wines from established winemaking countries such as France and Spain as well as far-flung destinations. There’s Pinot Grigio from Hungary and Romania
Brazilian fizz
dessert wines from Greece
Chilean Sauvignon plus that most difficult of grapes – Pinot Noir – from Patagonia. You can even try an English fizz should the mood take you closer to home.

It seems Laithwaites are thriving on variety and Leading wine magazine Decanter voted them their Wine Merchant of the Year in 2007. Wine lovers must hope that other wine merchants follow suit and offer more character-driven wines from distant shores …

So if you are feeling stuck in a wine rut – why not try searching for something a little
bit different? There is a world of better wines out there to enjoy and they’re just a
click away … For more information about the World of Wine
feel free to visit our site.

Red Wine

The first operation performed on grapes after they are removed from their storage is to de-stem them
which is the process of removing the grape from the shoots to which they are attached.
As soon as all the grapes in the batch are de-stemmed
they are placed into the wine press where they are compressed into a paste which in turn releases the must (the juice of the fruit). The resulting paste (or pomace) and must combination then spend time together in a cask and it is the length of time that the mixture sits with the must in contact with the grape skin and pulp that determines the character of the finished wine.

When the winemaker determines the right amount of time has passed
the juice is drawn off and yeast added to begin the fermentation process with the remaining pomace
in many cases
being returned to the vineyard to be used as a fertilizer.

Once the colour and sugar content are correct the cask valve is opened and the first juice
which is the best quality wine
is then transferred into other containers where the fermentation process is finalized.

‘Pressed wines’
which are full of tannin
are made from the leftover solids. They have a strong colour and are generally mixed with the first juice in many different ways to create wines of different strengths and flavours.

When the fermentation process is complete
the wine is either bottled straight away
or left to age.

White Wine

When making white wine it is important not to damage the grapes
so they are poured into the receiving bins as quickly as possible. Once they are all in the receiving bin
the grapes are then transferred to the press where the must is separated from the skins and other solids.

At this stage the solids are disregarded and the remaining must is slightly refrigerated before being transferred into a stainless steel vat where it is allowed to ferment. Care is taken to maintain the temperature during fermenting which preserves the delicate aromas of the finished wine.

Once the fermentation process is complete
the resultant wine is decanted taking care to avoid the sediment which collects at the bottom of the vat. After decanting
the wine is bottled and ready to be sold
and is best drunk within two years.

Sweet Dessert Wines

Dessert wines are produced in one of two ways. In the first method
Botrytis Cinera
a fungus which grows very quickly
is used. This transforms the fruit and changes the colour and also alters the acid components and sugar levels. The second method is to interrupt the fermentation process by adding alcohol. This method creates a strong
sweet wine where the grape is the major flavour.

Grapes used for sweet wines are of the white Moscatel and Garnacha varieties which
along with the production process
leave the wine with a mushroom type smell as the bottle is opened.