Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Why Not Try A Sparkling Rose Wine?

Wine is probably the best social drink man has ever known. It comes in hoards of varieties and peculiarly, the classification is generally based on the area in which wine is grown. The classification is required because the number of types is just so mind boggling that the entire industry would be disarrayed if a standard classification system is not in use. Red and white wines are the 2 major classes in the classification of wine, and in the general sense of the term, they represent the approximate colour of the wine. Apart from that, a number of characteristics are also used to classify wines. Sparkle is one such feature and wines that have a fizz are called as sparkling wines. These wines have some quantity of carbon dioxide in them that imparts the fizz to these wines, similar to soft drinks.

Sparkling rose wine is especially very famous as it is one of the few wines that taste really good with the sparkle rather than without it. As is obvious, rose wines are red wines. These wines taste real good and have an aroma. After carbon dioxide is added during bottling, sparkling rose wine is ready and once opened, the contents will fizz out. Generally, carbon dioxide is filled up to a pressure of 2 to 3 atmospheres in these bottles and one must be careful not to subject the bottle of vigorous vibrations, or the contents can splash out. Champagne is a sparkling wine and is used as a celebration drink; it is always "shaken well before use" so that the contents fizz out and mark the celebration mood.

Sparkling rose wine is produced in a number of places including France, Italy and the U.S. The sales of sparkling rose wine are high as compared to other luxury wines and this product is a "hit" in the online wine sales market. Sparkling rose wine is available as a sparkling wine or a semi-sparkling wine, the difference between the two being the level of carbon dioxide in the bottle. Sparkling rose wine has a carbon dioxide pressure of over 2.5 atmospheres in the bottled condition whereas semi-sparkling rose wine has a carbon dioxide pressure of 1 to 2.5 atmospheres.

Sparkling rose wine is one of the stars of the rose wine family. Rose wines are known for their mild colour which can be anything between pale orange to a deep shade of pink. Apart from the colour, there is no connection of rose wines with the flower 'rose' that we all know. Rose wines have all the health benefits of red wines. Sparkling rose wine is thus not only good to taste for enjoyment but also healthy. As is always said about wines, moderation is the key to taking complete advantage of all the health benefits they have to offer, sparkling rose wine should also be consumed in moderate quantities, not exceeding 2-3 glasses a day. Regular, moderate consumption has good health benefits and hence, is highly recommended for everyone.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleStreet.com/

Monday, March 2, 2009

Beat the deadly wine hangover

Wine is the best way to celebrate an occasion, a promotion, your birthday or having a great time with your friends over the weekend. Wine is considered to be the favorite and royal drink by most people across the globe. The reason is its unique taste and the excitement and energy it provides the body immediately after the consumption. Many health benefits associated with this drink has also made it extremely popular with millions of people around the world.

Drinking wine is fun but bearing the hangover after overindulging in it is just impossible. The headaches, body feels restless and nothing seems to work well. In fact, the Sunday is wasted in getting rid of the hangover you came with last night.

Don't worry; there are a lot of ways you can adopt in order to stay away from the hangover and removing it if you have been caught by it. Here are some tips to get rid of the hangover of wine.

a) H20:
Drink plenty of water. This is a great solution when it comes to getting rid of the hangover you suffered from due to overindulgence in wine over the weekend. Alcohol dehydrates the body. Hence, it is important to replenish it with lots of water. Drink at least one glass of water before each glass of wine you desire to take. This will hydrate your body and also prevent you from overindulging in wine. Water will help you to fight off the hangover monster.

b) Milk time:
Milk is good for health. You must have heard this cliché for many times. However, drinking milk actually provides you a lot of benefits when it comes to removing the hangover due to overindulgence in wine. Drink milk before having your glass of wine. It provides a protective coating to the stomach and aids in absorption of the alcohol you intake.

c) Aspirin:
If you want to get rid of a severe headache after indulging in wine, take an aspirin. It will work wonders. Strictly avoid paracetamol or ibuprofen. These medicines usually have bad effects on liver when they get in touch with alcohol.

d) No dark drinks:
Red wine and whiskey are a total no-no if you want to stay away from the hangover. If you cannot avoid whiskey, try to mix it with soda or water.

e) Salt is dangerous:
Salt is diuretic. It has a tendency to enhance the process of dehydration.

f) Prescription drugs are dangerous:
You should not consider mixing wine with prescription drugs. Most people usually mix wine with prescription drugs to enhance the effects of wine and save money on the number of glasses they have.

g) Have snacks:
Consider having snacks that consists of bread and pasta. Have meal an hour before you want to drink wine. This will absorb the alcohol efficiently and keep you away from over indulgence in wine.

Getting rid of hangover is not easy. You can make this process easy via following the expert tips mentioned above.

Author : Steve Manik
http://www.articleclick.com/Article/Beat-the-deadly-wine-hangover/954741

Malbec Mania At Laithwaites

Laithwaites boast an extensive range of Argentinean wines and they are going from strength to strength. Much of this success is down to Malbec which is the country's signature red grape variety. The Malbecs of Argentina are almost black in colour and bursting with dark fruit flavours. The robust tannins and mouthcoatingly rich flavours make them a magical match with red meats. With an almost perfect climate for growing grapes (little rainfall, long sunshine hours and the highest altitude vineyards) it is no wonder that Argentina is rapidly gaining its rapidly gaining its exports worldwide. Laithwaites has increased its Argentinean range in line with this success and now boasts an eclectic portfolio of over 50 different wines and comprising 17 different grape varieties. This makes it one of the largest portfolios of Argentinean wines available in the UK.

The Laithwaites Argentinean portfolio ranges from aromatic whites such as Torrontes, Viognier and Verdelho to the much more masculine reds made from Bonarda, Tempranillo and Malbec grapes. Demand for Argentinean wines has grown so much in the past year that Laithwaites will shortly offer its first ever mixed Argentinean Malbec case containing 12 stunning juicy hearty reds. Included in this selection is the Schroeder Malbec grown in the depths of Patagonia where Malbec's juicy, fruit driven profile is ideally suited to its desert-climate vineyards. Also included is our first Fair Trade wine, the Finca Federada Reserva 2005 made by the La Riojana cellar. This is made in a very poor region where the Fairtrade project will make a huge difference to the grower's standard of living. Many of these wines have been highly recommended by esteemed wine writers.

The Laithwaites Argentinean wine buyer, Nick Taylor comments “Our Customers are quickly recognising Argentina and its winning combination of quality and value. They love the ripe but balanced flavours and are keen to try something new. There is so much potential in Argentina. The pure fruit expression and rich and full structure of Malbecs are key to their success. Argentina has proved that its Malbecs especially can compete with the world's premium wines."

The Malbec collection case offer was released on the 28th May 2008. This includes twelve world -class malbecs for £69.99 with a saving of over £20. To purchase this case please call the Laithwaites order desk at: 0870 444 8282 or if you prefer to order your wine online visit the Laithwaites website

Author : Victoria Hatton
http://www.articleclick.com/Article/Malbec-Mania-At-Laithwaites/1000427

Welcome to wine club Australia

There are many countries where wine is produced. However, Australia is the continent of wine. We all know that Australia's diversity is amazing and its wines are the same. In order to protect its reputation for high quality wine producers, Australia is the first country to require samples of each type of wine to first be examined by experts before they can be certified for export. So you can be sure that any wine club in Australia provides the best Shiraz wines. Imagine that you enter wine club Australia only to offer a bit of pleasure to your gustative senses.

Any Australian wine club can offer you a bottle of Hand Picked, which is Shiraz Viognier whose color is red. Wine club Australia can tell you the story of the grapes in Eden Valley or Barossa Valley. Plots of Shiraz, especially selected from a large variety of soils have been mixed with parts of Viognier from Eden Valley and the result is a stylish, perfumed wine.

Distinct cherry aromas are mixed with spices like cinnamon and black pepper, combined with a subtle floral breeze. As far as its taste is concerned, the taste of coffee and chocolate mixes with that of cider and black cherries. It is a special, soft, and silky wine that can make you come again to any wine club in Australia.

Wine club Australia pays a special attention to color as well. In our case, Viognier and Shiraz intensify the color, adding a wonderful aroma to the bouquet and making the strong Shiraz Barossa a little gentler.

Wine producers in Australia are like the ancient Greek king Midas from two points of view. First, their empire keeps growing and second, you know that king Midas convinced Dionysus the god of the wine to offer him the gift to change everything he touches into gold. Well, these people can, metaphorically do it. Any wine club in Australia is proud of its golden touch.

Wine club Australia can as well offer you Chardonnay. It is a fresh wine of fruity aromas. Peaches, guava, and citric fruit flavors are harmoniously completed by the taste of nougat. Your mouth is caressed by a delicate texture of watermelon. The acid amount in the fruits is balanced and you feel like living magic moments while tasting it.

To continue with an Australian mixture of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz is legendary. Just imagine black cherries and the pepper aroma of Shiraz perfectly mixed with the strength and elegance of Cabernet Sauvignon. Its color is ruby red and the aromas are completed with plums and gooseberries' ones.

Most of the Australian wines are complex, delicate, and rich. Apart from red wines, there are as well golden yellow ones, based on peach and many other fruits and flowers. It is interesting to know that some vineyards in Barossa Valley were first planted in 1889 and they still produce remarkable wines. Grapes are picked manually and then they are left for 3 weeks fermentation and after that, they are pressed.

Author : Jhonson
http://www.articleclick.com/Article/Welcome-to-wine-club-Australia/1038118

Understanding The World Of Champagne

With almost 300 Champagne houses producing Champagne in the Champagne region, there's potential for a lot of bottles to be produced each year. Around 320 million to be precise! With this in mind, choosing a bottle of Champagne may sound a daunting task. But there's no need to fear. Once you know what to look for, deciding what to buy is simple. In this article, we cover everything you could need to know about Champagne, from types and styles through to bottle sizes. So once you've mastered your “Brut" from your “Balthazar", you'll be picking out bottles of Champagne in no time.

Grapes Types

Three grapes are used to make Champagne - Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier are black grapes, while Chardonnay is a white grape. The quantity that each grape is used varies according to the Champagne. If you come across a “Blanc de Blancs", this is Champagne which is made exclusively from the Chardonnay grape. “Blanc de Noirs", on the other hand, is Champagne made from the red grapes - Pinot Noir and/ or Pinot Meunier.

Champagne Styles

Champagne comes in a range of styles from very dry through to very sweet. The normal dry style is known as “Brut". If you prefer a slightly drier than normal style, look for “Extra" or “Ultra Brut". “Sec" is slightly sweeter than normal, “Demi Sec" is sweeter, while “Doux" is an intensely sweet and very rare style of Champagne.

Champagne Types

The cheapest Champagne type that you'll come across is “Non Vintage". This refers to Champagne that is blended from wines of several years and, in doing so, this ensures that a constant style is achieved. Non-vintage Champagne is stored for at least a year before it is sold, and is considered the entry level or house style Champagne. The next level of Champagne is known as a “Vintage". This is made from a blend wines from a particular year, when the quality of the wine is good enough to declare a vintage. In this case, the Champagne will have been stored for at least three years. A very, very special bottle produced in a vintage year, is known as a “Prestige" or “Deluxe Cuvée". This is the producer's top notch Champagne and usually costs more than three times more than a non-vintage and possibly double the price of a vintage Champagne. The grapes will have been hand selected and the Champagne will have been left to mature for five to seven years. Finally, if you like your Champagne with a pink tinge, go for a Rosé based Champagne.

Champagne Bottle Sizes

The most common Champagne bottles that you will come across are 75 cl bottles and Magnums (1.5 litres). However, it is also possible to find Quarter (18.75 cl) and Half bottles (37.5cl), along with Jeroboam (3 litres), Rehoboam (4.5 litres), Methuselah (6 litres), Salmanazar (9 litres), Balthazar (12 litres), and Nebuchadnezzar bottles (15 litres)!

The Champagne Region

Champagne refers to the region from where it was produced. The region of Champagne is the most northerly wine region in France and the “Champenois" (the collection of Champagne producers) are fiercely protective of its heritage. A bottle of Champagne has to be produced in the Champagne region for it to bear the Champagne label. So while all Champagne is classed as sparkling wine, you will come across sparkling wine which isn't Champagne. Spanish Cava and Italian Prosecco are good examples.

Author : Louise Truswell
http://www.articleclick.com/Article/Understanding-The-World-Of-Champagne/1040607