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10:49 AM

Sunday - Wine Tour

The Best Articles on Wine Tour

I Love French Wine and Food - Reviewing The Whites


I recently finished a wine tour of Italy?s twenty administrative regions, briefly describing each region prior to tasting a representative wine with food, and at least one imported Italian cheese. I enjoyed the experience so much that I plan to repeat it, but only after doing something similar for France and perhaps a few other countries. I am happy enough with Italian wine to continue to drink it for the rest of my days, but there are other wine-producing countries out there, and other wines to drink. I am going to give you a bit of a report on the white wines I encountered on this wine tour, but only after a quick summary of Italian white wines, as if such an endeavor was possible. Look for a similar article on Italian red wines.

You wouldn?t be alone if you immediately think red when the subject of Italian wine is raised. In spite of extreme variations in climate, soil, elevation, and other geographical conditions, every single one of Italy?s twenty regions produces white wine. Of course the percentage varies widely from 84% in the central region of Latium to 9% in the southern region of Calabria. Many of the best-known Italian white wines come from northern Italy.

But the reality of Italy wine is more complex than first meets the eye. Who would have thought that Sicily, a southern Italian region if ever there was one, produces almost as much white wine as red wine. Considering that Sicily holds first place for Italian wine production that?s a lot of white wine. In fact, Sicily?s annual white wine production is greater than the total wine production of all but five Italian regions. Not all of it is good. But not all of it is bad, and in fact some Sicilian white wine is excellent.

In chronological order we tasted a white wine from the northern region of Emilia-Romagna, the central region of Umbria, the southern region of Campagnia, the central region of Molise, the northern region of Friuli-Venezia Giuli, the southern region of Sicily, the northern region of Veneto, and finally the northern region of Tuscany while describing its neighboring region of Liguria. I was unable to find a Ligurian wine.

These eight wines varied in classification from basically unclassified table wines to IGT, DOC, and DOCG. In short all Italian wine classifications were represented. IGT stands for Indicazione Geografica Tipica, which may be translated as Typical Geographic Indication, in other words a wine that typifies its specific location. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin. DOCG stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Guarantita, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin.

The wines varied in price from $6 (actually $8 for a one-liter bottle) to $20. Interestingly enough they all contained from 12% to 12.5% alcohol. They were all 2004 or 2005 vintages. In contrast, the grapes used varied widely, including both international and strictly Italian varieties. Some wines included multiple grape varieties, others did not. And now for the question that you?ve been waiting for, what about the quality, and in particular the quality as a function of price? That too varied widely, there were both positive and negative surprises. We overpaid and there were definitely some bargains. Which was which? Read the articles.

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His wine website is http://www.theworldwidewine.com .



A synopsis on Wine Tour.

I Love French Wine and Food - Reviewing The Whites


I recently finished a wine tour of Italy?s twenty administrative regions, briefly describing each region prior to tasting a representative wine with f...


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The FTD Fruit and Chocolate Basket - Standard


Adam and Eve didn't have it this good! This basket is packed with a mouth-watering array of seasonal fruits and chocolates. C40-2991S


Price: 39.99 USD



Wine Tour in the news

Discovering More Wine Club Benefits

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 15:56:55 -0800
I’ve loved this wine from my first taste of it in the Nelson Family Vineyards tasting room in 2006. Then, it was the 2005 and it convinced me to join the Nelson Wine Club. On the nose of the 2006 I found pineapple, honey, spice, lychee, orange, lemon zest, and ginger. I loved the spicy quality that this wine has.

LOOK NO FURTHER FOR THE GIFT OF A LIFETIME

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 00:58:07 -0800
Thrilling experiences or indulgent gifts, perfect for that someone special, a long time friend or loved one. Take a class in cooking or wine tasting, have a dinner party, go bungi jumping, more fun click thru.

All you need to know about wines – Part II

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 00:22:26 -0800
As promised, we have the second guide on the two-part series of Wine Drinking. Hope you liked this one just as much as you did the first one, thanksWine Chateau to expert wine trainer from Chateau Indage, Pune. In this section we give you a lowdown on wine etiquette like tasting, storing and serving.


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1:33 AM

Sunday January 04, 2009 - Wine Tasting

A Featured Wine Tasting Article

Best Wine for Each Occasion



Home wine racks are specially designed for storing bottles of wines in a horizontal position, to help preserve the quality of the wine. Storing your bottles in a wine rack is a great way to prevent the corks from drying out. If this happens, the cork can shrink and let air in, resulting in oxidization, which will spoil the taste. Wine storage racks usually have separate compartments for holding individual bottles, allowing gaps between each one to allow air to circulate. Ideally, wines should be kept at a consistent temperature of around 55 degrees farenheit, with a relative humidity of 70%, away from light.



There are really no hard and fast rules when choosing the best wine for each occasion - especially when you consider the fact that people are partial to certain wines depending on their personal preference and taste. Here are a few 'soft' guidelines to help you choose the right wine for the right occasion. This will give you a good idea on how to complement an occasion - and certain dishe - with the right kind of wine.



1. White Wines - white wines, being lighter and drier than red wines are best served during the earlier part of the evening or before the main course. Chardonnay, having wide appeal among most wine connoisseurs, is also perfect for serving along with rich tasting courses, especially those that have creamy sauces. Sauvignon Blanc, while not as dry as Chardonnay, still makes excellent company with salads, shrimp, and fish due to its fruity nature.



White wines are perfect for starting off an evening on the right foot, and are also wonderful for toasts and special occasions. Champagne is a regular fixture at weddings and is indispensable at such occasions.



2. Red Wines - red wines are great for main courses and are typically served during the latter part of any occasion. Their full bodied nature makes them a great complement to hearty meals. If you are looking for the wine that is most certain to please the most people, go for Merlot. It has a balanced mix of body and lightness that make it the perfect choice for most dishes. It particularly does well with poultry, pork and lamb.



The scintillating aroma of plum, vanilla and blackberry make Pinot Noir an intriguing proposition during special occasions. It is not as heralded as Merlot or Cabernet, so many people may not recognize its unique blend. It goes well with creamy sauces.



For spicy foods, Shiraz is a fiery complement. It has a peppery taste that will greatly enhance the flavor in barbeques, roasts, and chili or spicy dishes.



For a hearty, full taste, look no further than Chianti. Chianti is the best wine to accompany tomato dishes and poultry. It is wonderfully versatile in having varied range in price and quality.



During some occasions you may want to prepare servings of both red and white wine, and have your guests sample which they would have for the rest of the evening. Most people choose their drinks early on and keep them until the end of the reception.

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Best Wine for Each Occasion


Home wine racks are specially designed for storing bottles of wines in a horizontal position, to help preserve the quality of the wine. Storing your b...


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Wine Tasting in the news

Colorado wine industry's 2008 Restaurant Program announced (High Plains Journal)

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 22:42:25 -0800
The Colorado Wine Industry Development Board is holding another restaurant recognition program this year to acknowledge the restaurants that are making a special effort to bring Colorado wines to consumers.

Experiencing the unexpected (Scottsbluff Star-Herald)

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 22:38:25 -0800
PIERCE — There is a new tourism opportunity in Nebraska, and with more than 100 farms involved in the wine industry across the state, the Nebraska Wine and Grape Growers Association is asking people to “experience the unexpected.”

Matthew Kaner’s Week in Drink

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 22:29:31 -0800
Organic is definitely the buzz word of the 2000s. Given the option, I bet at least 5 out of 10 people will buy an organic product over one that is not deemed organic. With the rise in popularity of organic products though, must come some education! Let’s apply it to the wine industry; there is an important differentiation… Organic Farming & Organic Wine . They are not always one in the same. Does all wine made from organically farmed grapes get made into organic wine? Is all organic wine mad

Organic Farming vs Organic Wine

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 22:29:31 -0800
By Matthew Kaner January 3, 2009 Organic is definitely the buzz word of the 2000s. Given the option, I bet at least 5 out of 10 people will buy an organic product over one that is not deemed organic. With the rise in popularity of organic products though, must come some education! Let’s apply it to the wine industry; there is an important differentiation…Organic Farming & Organic Wine. They are not always one in the same. Does all wine made from organically farmed grapes get made into organic

Grape and wine council to meet Jan. 8 (High Plains Journal)

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 22:10:31 -0800
The Kansas Grape and Wine Industry Advisory Council will meet to discuss current issues at 3 p.m., Jan. 8, at in the fourth floor meeting room at the Kansas Department of Agriculture, 109 SW 9th Street, in Topeka.

Market crisis and industrial policy

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 20:04:46 -0800
One of my sparring partners is Kevin Carson of Mutualist.org. We do not agree on everything, I guess I’m still a social-democrat at heart, but I always find his thinking to be open and clear, and we find ourselves in our mutual preference for peer to peer dynamics, including on the level of economic transactions. I guess the commonality is: if we control our own means of production, we are more able to voluntarily aggregate them in common production projects (or do it individually and exchange

Surfers Bring Acai Fruit to The Modern World

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 18:28:05 -0800
Surfers Bring Acai Fruit to The Modern World By Dr. Jerimiah Crossderd | January 3, 2009 by Dr. Jerimiah Crossderd The Acai fruit grows on a Brazilian palm tree known as to the local people of the Amazon as the Tree of Life. It was given this name because of the life-giving properties of the fruit. The Acai berries grow in grape-like clusters that hang from the top of the tree. The powerful medicinal benefits of the acai fruit are lost if it is not freeze dried within 24 hours. This must


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