Varietal Wine Information Blog: Nov 30, 2008

9:34 AM

November 30, 2008 - Wine Chillers

Another Great Wine Chillers Article

Make Wine, Not War

Homemade wine may seem like a crazy concept, as if it came about after a bad acid trip by Betty Crocker. But, it?s really not that crazy at all. In fact, winemaking in the home is an old tradition. It was born out of necessity; prior to the 20th century the wine sold commercially was extremely expensive and those who didn't want to drink away their paycheck found another option. They began to make their own wine. This was a much cheaper way to produce a bottle, but the flavor of the wine often suffered and the alcohol content fluctuated: one batch of wine would have very little alcohol, while the next would be wine's version of Ever Clear.

Innovations in winemaking have led to a drastic improvement in homemade quality. What once appeared to be an art reserved only for accomplished viticulturists or people who could stomp on grapes with the grace of a Michael Flately is now an art that everyone can take a sip of. So roll up your leaves, grab some supplies and make wine, not war.

From a technical standpoint, you could make wine with a vat of grapes and some (hopefully clean) feet; wearing an outfit straight out of the Renaissance may also help. But, for those who aren?t likely to spend their day getting purple, you have one of two choices: purchase several supplies or a winemaking kit. If you choose the former, you will need to procure a slug of ingredients, and a lot of equipment. You will also have to follow such specified and stringent instructions that the process of winemaking may seem like a dictatorship: the grapes will have absolute power and Mussolini will demand the first sample. However, if you choose to purchase a winemaking kit, you will find the art of producing homemade wine is much easier and much more enjoyable.

Winemaking kits can be purchased in all kinds of places. Some home furnishing stores sell them but online is one of the best places to look. The online inventory is extremely diverse ? you can find winemaking kits for making red wine, winemaking kits for making white wine, winemaking kits for making fruit wine, and winemaking kits for making sherry, just to name a few. Depending on the kit, the price can vary. Some kits are under a hundred dollars while others can be quite expensive; it purely depends on what you?re looking for.

No matter the type or price of the kit, most winemaking kits come with similar equipment. The supplies include a fermenter with lid, a carboy, a large spoon, a recipe book, sanitizing products, a hydrometer, a corker, corks, an airlock, a siphon hose, a siphon, a bottle filler, a bottle brush, equipment instructions and winemaking instructions.

Some people may enjoy the challenge of making wine without a kit, but for those of you who are novice winemakers, a winemaking kit is the best bet. Spending the day making wine for yourself or your friends is a great way to get acquainted with the art of winemaking. Each time you do it, it will get easier. Even if the first batch results in less than stellar wine, wine that seems to put the ?low" in Merlot, rest assured, it just takes a little practice. Before you know it, you will be able to truly enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Jennifer Jordan is the senior editor at http://www.savoreachglass.com With a vast knowledge of wine etiquette, she writes articles on everything from how to hold a glass of wine to how to hold your hair back after too many glasses. Ultimately, she writes her articles with the intention that readers will remember wine is fun and each glass of anything fun should always be savored.

Thoughts about Wine Chillers

Make Wine, Not War

Homemade wine may seem like a crazy concept, as if it came about after a bad acid trip by Betty Crocker. But, it?s really not that crazy at all. In fa...

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The FTD Fruitful Abundance Basket - Standard

The best of both worlds - a basket of flowers and fruit. Assorted fruits are delivered with an arrangement of lavender Fuji pompons, a stargazer lily, purple liatris and more. A great gift for get well, cheer or any special occasion. (Fruit selections will vary depending on fruit in season.) C40-3473S

Price: 79.99 USD

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Labels: Wine Terminology

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Posted by Christian Jones | 4 comments

6:03 AM

November 30, 2008 - Wine Cellars

Wine Cellars For Your Reading Pleasure

The Benefits Of Wine On Your Health

How did wine come into being? Thousands of years ago, an unknown person must have accidentally let some sweet fruit juice to ferment. May be this was grape, figs or the juice of dates. This led to the fermentation of sugar present in the juice and thus wine came into existence. Wine has become a common beverage and is consumed by many cultures today. In many countries people drink wine with their food, and this is one reason perhaps why heart disease is much lower in European countries.

The idea that wine is good for health is not something new. The father of medicine, Hippocrates has written about the advantages and qualities of wine. Modern day research shows that people consuming wine daily with meals are not prone to heart diseases.

There are two benefits of wine on health. The content of alcohol in wine, irrespective of its color being red or white protects the heart and the phytochemicals from the grape skin present in the wine also protects you from heart diseases. Due to these two advantages wine is considered to be a good drink when compared to other alcoholic beverages. Whether it an alcoholic beverage or wine, controlling consumption is very essential. Too much of any drink, including wine, is not too good.

Wine is very beneficial to the heart as it contains flavonoids. Flavonoids are derived from grape skins and are phytochemicals. Red wine is made by fermenting grapes with their skins and during the process flavonoids from the skin leak into the wine. The wine gets its flavor and color by this process. Red wine has flavonoids and white wine does not because the skin of the grapes is removed while making white wine and hence the content of flavonoids in white wine is very low. Flavonoids protect the LDLs and prevent blood clots. Though in purple and red grapes flavonoids are present in large quantities, only one third of it leaks into the wine.

The Wisconsin University after a study has concluded that flavonoids present in red wine prevent the blood platelets from getting sticky and hence prevent blood clots and decrease the risk of getting a heart attack. Studies reveal that red wine is good for health provided it is consumed with meals. The amount and the time that wine is consumed are very important in how flavonoids and alcohol affect heart health. In Italy and France heart diseases are comparatively low. People start drinking wine from a very early age and drunkenness is almost nonexistent as people drink moderately. People find it pleasurable to sip wine leisurely during meals.

However, if one drinks an entire bottle of wine all at once and then divides it by seven and says that he is a ?moderate? drinker over the week he is missing a point here. There must be moderation all the time. Alcohol including red wine consumption comes with a certain amount of risk, so before you buy any be cautious.

Drinking regularly may damage mental function and also affect your memory. People who have more than four to five drinks a day become prone to hypertension, which may cause kidney failure, heart attacks and diseases that are related to the liver. You are more prone to accidents at work and road accidents if you have no control over the alcohol you consume.

Excessive drinking among women will increase the risk of breast cancer and drinking is often related to heart diseases. Women must talk to their physicians about cancer risks before they choose to consume alcohol on a daily basis, and they should remember to drink moderately.

For more information about wine grapes and wine food pairing visit http://www.wine-answers.com/

Wine Cellars and More

The Benefits Of Wine On Your Health

How did wine come into being? Thousands of years ago, an unknown person must have accidentally let some sweet fruit juice to ferment. May be this was ...

Click Here to Read More About Wine ...

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The FTD Friendly Welcome Arrangement - Deluxe

A dynamic mixture of pink, yellow and blue blooms, plus greens in a basket. A great gift for any "welcome" occasion. Approx. 21.5H x 18W B16-3227D

Price: 61.99 USD

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Labels: Wine Society