Archive for August, 2008

The Northern California Winemaking Region

Filed under Wine Regions

Northern California has a climate and terrain that reminds many people of the rural areas of France making it perfect for wine production. The Napa valley, which produces some of the finest wines in America, is only 35 miles long. It is also only 5 miles wide and there are only a couple hundred wineries [...]

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The Champagne Region of France

Filed under Wine Regions

This region is made famous by the wine, which carries the same name. It is a sparkling white, which is created due to the fact that the climate in this region is cooler and has a shorter growing season. This area is divided into three main parts the Cote des Blancs, the Vallee de la [...]

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Cabernet Sauvignon - A Noble Red with Complex Flavors

Filed under Red Wines

Cabernet Sauvignon is the most popular and revered red wine in the world. It is made all over the world, from the Bordeaux region of France, to California, to Australia, South America and even Africa. The grape is a cross between Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc, and is thought to have first developed in the [...]

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Merlot - Well Rounded and Subtle Flavor

Filed under Red Wines

Merlot is a rich, red wine from the Bordeaux region of France. These grapes are planted on more acreage than the famous Cabernet Sauvignon, yet until recently, they were only used to blend with the Cabernet. Traditionally, this grape adds a soft smoothness to the sharper grapes. Its plummy richness adds a lush quality to [...]

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Riesling - A Balance of Sweetness and Acidity

Filed under White Wines

Riesling has developed a reputation as “the other white wine.” While it fell out of favor in the 1980s and 1990s due to the rising popularity of Chardonnay, Riesling’s true flavors have held to their high standard. A true Riesling will have the perfect balance of acidity and sweetness. Originally grown in Germany beginning in [...]

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Presenting the Right Wine Bottle as a Gift

Filed under Wine Gift Giving

It is often difficult to find that right gift for a certain occasion. Perhaps you have too many gift ideas and cannot narrow them down or possibly you have no ideas at all. Either way, consider this before you do your shopping; there are many events or occasions when a nice bottle of wine makes [...]

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Wine and Chocolate - A Delectable Gift Basket Combination

Filed under Wine Gift Giving

Wine and chocolate is a difficult pairing for many people to make; for this reason they will generally choose to avoid this effort if possible. If you just keep a few simple guidelines in mind, you will be able to assemble a wine and chocolate gift basket which is certain to astound and delight recipients [...]

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Sauvignon Blanc - A Pleasantly Dry and Herbaceous Wine

Filed under White Wines

Sauvignon Blanc is a dry white wine made famous in the Loire Valley and in Bordeaux, France. It is also blended with Semillon to create fine dry wines and the well-known sweet wines Sauterne and Barsac. Sauvignon Blanc is now grown in New Zealand, California (often marketed as fume blanc), Oregon, Australia, Chile and South [...]

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