Wine has long been cited as the perfect accompaniment to cheese but you must ensure to match correctly, or the results can be disappointing. Most people believe the red wine exclusively makes the perfect match for cheese but actually, white wine is often ideal as its acidity cuts through the creaminess of the cheeses. Mild cheddars work well with the bubbly tang of champagne or crisp chardonnays, whilst sharper cheddars are complimented well with white aromatic Rioja wines or a refreshing Sauvignon Blanc. If you are a lover of red wine then CabernetSauvignon can work well with stronger cheddar flavours. Itallian hard cheese Asiago – a tasty alternative to cheddar – is perfectly matched with Bardolino.

(Image source: eatliverun.com)

French Soft cheeses popular for Christmas cheese boards include triple cream Brie and Camembert. Although champagne also collaborates well with brie, the cheese is rich enough to work with red merlot wines and dessert wines like sweet sherry. Less fatty camembert cheeses work well with the honey tones of Chenin Blanc or the deep fruitiness of red Cabernet.

Blue cheese is, of course, a traditional Christmas cheese but a rich Shropshire blue or stilton make lovely alternatives. Sweet pudding wines such as sherry and Sauternes wok beautifully with blue cheese. Both Shropshire blue and stilton are wonderful with port, the sweetness of the wine balancing out the pungent saltiness and strong flavours of the cheeses.

Ensure to remove cheeses from the fridge two hours before serving to allow them to reach room temperature. This will bring out the flavours of the cheeses, increasing the taste-sensations achieved when matched with your wine choices.

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Perfect wines to match your Christmas cheeseboard

So how do you go about choosing? Well there’s a few things you might want to consider. Certainly you’ll want to think about price and amount of consumption (i.e. how many people are drinking wine?), but you may even want to consider things like the colour schemes of the wedding. The last thing you’d want is to have red wine clashing with your green decor. But first, before thinking of those aspects, you’ll want to consider the benefits of each and the negatives as well.

The biggest thing you’ll want to consider is probably price, as weddings can come with a big budget, so if you can save money somewhere, you’ll most likely want to. However, you won’t have trouble finding either choice in a range of prices. There are lots of cheap reds and whites, but distributors may offer you different deals if you’re buying in bulk. If you approach your local winery or liquor store, or what have you, they may inform you that they do deals on one or the other, so it’s certainly worth considering. Red and white wine also have a very similar range for alcohol content, so more than likely you won’t have to settle in that regard. Most wines come in around 12-15% alcohol, and the taste difference will be noticeable in either category.

Then what are the biggest differences that’ll help you choose? Well colour clashing is one aspect, but other considerations such as tradition and preference are probably going to dictate your choice the most. In regards to tradition, it’s been commonly held that red wine is a typically an evening drink while white wine is served during the day. This tradition is long stemming and can certainly be broken without much worry, but it’s been said that red wine produced a certain aura in the night that blends well with the event.

How about preference? You’ll know your family and friends better than anyone, so you may have to think a bit first. If you can figure it out though, you may come to realize that a large portion of your guests prefer white over red, or vice versa. If that’s the case then you certainly need to weigh that in your decision, after all, there’s no point in buying drinks that people won’t have!

Another big consideration is the food you’re serving. A lot of wine connoisseurs will claim red and white wine go better with different types of foods. To give you a general idea of which goes with what, it’s typical to see a white wine with lighter foods and red wine with heavier items. So if you’re serving chicken and fish for the entree, a white wine will pair quite well. On the other hand if you’re serving a red meat such as beef or lamb, then a red wine is definitely the better choice, as the boldness of flavors will balance out more evenly.

Although it’s unlikely and small, you may also want to consider the staining effect of red wine. As the weddings typically call for a plethora of pictures, everyone will certainly wish to look their best. However, red wine is known to stain teeth quite a bit, even in small amounts, and can produce a red tinge on a smile with just a few glasses. Certainly this can be avoided, but it is something worth noting as you certainly wouldn’t want the occasion to be marred by lack luster smiles.

As every detail in a wedding can be a choice between two small decisions, it can be hard to get everything just right. Choosing the right wine will help you set the mood even further for your special day, so it goes without saying that you’ll want to take a bit of time to think about this decision. By following these tips, you’ll be off to a good start and can move on to your next detail in no time!

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Should You Serve Red or White Wine At A Wedding?

Wine Refrigerator – Choose a refrigerator to give to the happy couple. Be sure that the gift is going to fit in their apartment. There are many that you can choose from – single door, double door, small or large. Ask the place that you buy it from if they’ll install it in their home. This is a great gift for a group gift, since it’s so expensive depending on the size that is chosen.

Wreath made of wine corks – Give them a wreath that is made of wine corks. These can be accented with bows or ribbons or they can also be accented with some fake grape wines. Think about giving the couple some wine, too.

Wine rack or holder – Give the couple a wine rack or a bottle holder. You are going to find a lot of different styles that you can choose from. These kinds of holders you can buy made out of wood or metal. There are even some sculptures that are created to fit the couple. There are ones that look like lovers, a doctor or a teacher.

Wine accessories – If the couple already has the big gifts that are mentioned here, you can always give them a wine stopper, charms for their wine glasses, wine cosies, bottle openers, or carrying totes. Add a bottle of wine to your gift. Wine & Cheese – Choose a wine hamper and fill it with the couple’s favourite wine and the other foods which highlight or compliment the wine’s flavours. You can put sharp cheese and port wine together. Don’t forget a cheese cutter and plate in the basket. Another nice thing could be some crackers.

Wine & Chocolate – Chocolate is another great thing that will go with wine. Choose a white wine or a dessert wine. Add assorted kinds of chocolate, including cookies, brownies, and candies. Put everything in a basket and put some napkins in the basket too and these will protect the choocl.ate

Picnic Hamper – Put everything in the basket that is going to give the bride and groom what they need for a picnic and wine lunch. This would include wine glasses, a blanket to put on the ground, and a corkscrew. If you really want to go the extra mile you can give them a wine cooler which is going to keep that wine cooler at a great temperature.

Champagne Hamper – Champagne or sparkling wine’s a treat that is typically kept for occasions that are special. That is why it is a good idea for giving to people for a wedding gift. Think of some special things that you can give the couple in their champagne hamper. Some of the things that you can put into the hamper are things like nuts, expensive chocolates, cheese, dried fruits, fresh crackers or bread, and fruit spreads. Don’t forget the bottle of champagne, the corkscrew, and other things that will enhance the gift, like a couple of glasses and some plates. You might even want to add in a nice little knife that they can use for spreading the fruit or cheese onto the crackers.

Gift Certificate or good ol’ money – You can buy the couple a gift certificate to their favourite winery for their wedding gift. If you want to give them something along with it, you can give them a fancy corkscrew as well. But this way you can choose something that they will love. Alternatively just giving the couple money and grouping together with other family members can really help save them some money. Present them with a big cheque for their honeymoon or contribute to the wedding venue costs, it really will help them get off to a good start!

There are many different things that you can buy for a couple who loves wine. You can use one of the suggestions above or maybe even come up with some of your own. Just think about it and let your imagination go wild.

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The Best Wine Wedding Presents

If you are selecting wineglasses for a special occasion, there are certain factors that define the best wine glasses available. They include durability, sturdiness (balance), comfort in the hand, thinness and smoothness of the rim, and internal capacity. How it holds up is just as important as how well it functions. Quality wine glasses must also enhance the aroma and flavour of the wine, along with letting the wine breathe and concentrate its aroma.

It was not until the 1950s when Riedel Crystal, an Australian glass-making firm, began producing stemware that wine experts realized unique sizes and shapes perform better at delivering the ultimate wine taste and aroma. Additionally, the visual impact began playing an important role in exciting the senses to heighten the experience. It was discovered that visually displaying the unique hues and colours of each wine played a key role in preparing the wine drinker for the first sip. Today, only a few wine glass manufacturers are recognized for their quality products, including Riedel and Spiegelau.

The Wine Glasses

Riedel Sommeliers

Riedel Sommeliers wine glasses are without a doubt the premier stemware that sets the benchmark for all of its competitors. These glasses are crafted with 24% lead crystal. Each bowl is mouth-blown into their mould, with the base and stem handcrafted using the methods from ancient glassmakers. This glass is ideal for Bordeaux, Merlot, and Cabernet wine. It is priced at £65.

Spiegelau Vino Grande

Spiegelau Vino Grande wine glasses are crafted for Burgundy and Pinot Noir wine. Manufactured by the most famous and oldest fine-crystal European manufacturer, these Vino Grande glasses are both durable and beautiful. Designed to accentuate the wine’s bouquet and flavor, its specific shape allows the wine to aerate. It is priced at £35 for a set of six.

Riedel Vinum

Riedel Vinum wine glasses are ideal for Burgundy and Pinot Noir wine. Shaped with a wider base than the traditional Sommeliers glasses, the Vinum works perfectly for full-bodied red wines that deliver moderate tannins and highest acidity. Its unique shape directs the flow of each sip to land toward the front of the palate. It is priced at £35 for set of two.

Spiegelau Vinovino

Spiegelau Vinovino Chardonnay glasses offer exceptional beauty and durability. Their design enhances the flavour and bouquet of Chardonnay. Its unique shape provides optimal aeration to increase its aroma. It is priced at £35 for set of four.

Riedel Vitis

Riedel Vitis wine glasses are defined by its form, exquisite curvature and shape at the very tip of the stem. Crafted for Pinot Noir, it offers a pulled stem design that adds a touch of elegance not found in other brands. These glasses are priced at £25 for set of two.

Image Credit: http://www.forevercrystal.co.uk/glassware/wine-glasses

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Wine Glasses – Do The Best Wine Glasses Make The Wine?

Laguiole Corkscrew

The waiter’s corkscrew is perhaps one of my favourites, and on top of the list is the Laguiole corkscrew. Made in France, this corkscrew is not only beautiful, but functional. The worm is solid, and if you look down the end of the corkscrew, it appears to have a hole up the centre of the coils. This means it is sturdy enough to get the job done without tearing your wine cork to shreds. It is about the size of a pocket knife and can be slipped into your pocket to carry with you, or easily tucked into a drawer. A curved foil cutter is at one end, and the worm and lever fold out as well to give you the leverage you need to slip a stubborn cork right out of the wine bottle with no fuss. It is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship, as well, engraved with Laguiole’s logo, and with beautiful handles that fit comfortably in your hand.

Le Creuset Corkscrew

Next on the list of best corkscrews is by Le Creuset. Quite possibly the Ferrari of corkscrews, it is the Lever Model by Le Creuset. When you purchase this corkscrew, you also get a foil cutter separately and a replacement screw pull. Again, the Lever corkscrew by Le Creuset has a very sturdy worm, and makes very easy work of pulling the cork out of a bottle of wine. Simply line up the worm with the top of the cork, push down the lever, and then pull the lever up. It makes very easy work of removing a cork from a bottle of wine, and is certainly built for speed. These wine openers are rather bulky, however, and cannot be slipped into a pocket to take along to a picnic.

Le Creuset Screwpull

Finally, probably the simplest of the best corkscrews is the Le Creuset Screwpull. While still one of the best corkscrews, this one requires a little more elbow grease to remove a cork, though it is exceptionally sturdy with a good worm which makes the job much easier. It is also one of the least expensive corkscrews, making it affordable for almost everyone. It is extremely compact, and the tube which stores the worm is slipped into a hole in the top of the corkscrew to make a handle for easy opening. There is no lever on this corkscrew, but because the worm does such a solid job of getting through the cork it will keep it intact while pulling it out.

There are a lot of good quality corkscrews available, but the best corkscrews are the ones with a sturdy, hollow worm. These make easy work out of getting into the sometimes tough terrain of a wine cork. The best corkscrews will keep the cork intact, and grab hold solidly so you can pull the cork out fairly easily, and in one piece.

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Three of the Best Corkscrews

But first, let us answer the question: “Why do you need a decanter?” While there are many reasons why folks buy wine decanters, here are a few reasons that seem to stand out (They are important considerations if you are shopping for one yourself)

i. The major function of wine decanters is to help your wine breathe. This is achieved by increasing the amount of wine that makes direct contact with air. Improved aeration helps in wine development.

ii. A decanter helps you separate sediments from older wine more easily. You want to serve your wine without the sediments unless you have a different taste than most.

iii. They are simply beautiful and add to the general aesthetics. They add that special feeling to the entire occasion. While this may be one of the least reasons they were invented, it appears to be a very big reason behind many purchases.

So now that you know what the major reasons are for buying wine decanter sets, here are things you need to consider before you pick a particular one.

i. The wider the surface area of wine exposed to air, the better aeration you get for your wine. Therefore, look for a set that gives your wine the best exposure.

ii. Do you want a wine decanter that makes pouring wine a lot easier? Then you are definitely better off with a clear design. You can pour more easily if you can see inside and determine the wine flow.

iii. Will you be using it more in occasions where kids would be running around or in more controlled situations? Note that ship decanters are more stable and so will be more apt for situations where you may have a few kids around. Just bear in mind that the taller a wine decanter is, the more likely it is to tip over.

iv. It’s a good idea to look for sets that come with stoppers or some form of covering on top. It would neither please you nor your guests if they find a few dead insects in their wines.

v. It’s also important that you check how easy it would be to clean out your decanter after use. Your wine decanter set has to be cleaned thoroughly after each use so that you don’t unwittingly poison yourself or your guest due to food poisoning.

vi. Yes, beauty does count. This is even more so if you intend to use it for special parties. They could really add to the entire occasion and even serve as good conversation starters in a number of situations.

Now that you know the major things to look for, go out and shop for one with greater confidence.

This is a post from: Classic Wine Direct

Things You Need to Consider When a Buying Wine Decanter Set

Whether you are a wine expert or just someone who enjoys the occasional evening tipple, wine coolers are a great way to ensure you have ready-to-serve wine for all occasions. Storing a selection of wines can take up valuable room in a refrigerator so having a separate cooler can be incredibly useful. The temperature inside a wine cooler can be altered, to ensure you create the optimal temperature whether you are storing red, white or rose. There are a huge range of wine coolers for kitchens available on the market, so if you’re currently in the market to buy one, here are some important things to consider:

Integrated or standalone design

One important decision when choosing a wine cooler is whether to buy a standalone or integrated model. Standalone wine coolers support themselves and can fit anywhere in your kitchen. However, if you are looking for a sleek and stylish kitchen appearance, an integrated model could be best.

Many manufacturers build integrated wine coolers which are designed to be easily installed into the modern kitchen. In fact, some even come as standard into newly built kitchens. Freestanding/ under the counter models are made to fit into existing kitchens, but you should ensure you allow enough room for the appliances to be installed. One tip is to always over-accommodate and allow for 10% on top of the manufacturers wine cooler dimensions.

Shape and Size

If you only drink a small amount at a time or you have a limited amount of kitchen space, then a compact wine cooler which holds 6 or 7 bottles could be ideal. Compact standalone designs fit easily onto counter tops or tables. Tall thin models which hold only one bottle on each level look sleek and elegant and can be kept in discreet areas of your kitchen.

On the other hand, if you like to have a huge selection of wine to draw upon at any one time, then many larger designs are available. Some are around the same size as a kitchen cabinet and can be as large as a fridge. A tall wine cooler displaying a range of vintage wines can look stunning as a centre piece of a kitchen and certainly strikes up conversation during social events!

Style

You can buy wine coolers for kitchens to suit almost any style of interior design. Sleek black or stainless steel models will work well in a most contemporary kitchens. A wooden panelled or white design will look great in a more traditional setting.

Shelves can come in a matching finish or be made from a different but complementary material, such as a stainless steel frame cooler with contemporary wooden shelves. Choose from fixed shelves, easy slide shelves, and even slanted display shelves to further enhance your design.

Temperature

Perfect wine temperature varies between wine types but is also influenced by personal taste. Duel zone refrigerators are perfect if you like both red and white wine, as you can set individual temperatures for each area of the fridge.

There are many reputable brand name wine coolers on the market as well as equally good lesser known models, so be sure to check out user reviews online before you make a purchase. Wine coolers are an ideal present for any wine enthusiast, and they make an attractive and functional addition to any kitchen.

This is a post from: Classic Wine Direct

A Quick Guide To Buying Wine Coolers For Kitchens

It’s a misconception that only red wines go with cheese – many whites work really well as do some rosés, champagnes, ports and dessert wines.

The idea with pairing is to match the flavour of the cheese with the flavour of the wine. They need to compliment each other, with neither one dominating the palette.  Light tasting cheeses need a young wine and strong, mature cheeses will need a robust, full bodied wine.

It’s actually the components of the wine and cheese that are the reason that they do or don’t work well together. The important components are fat, acid, salt, alcohol, tannin and sugar. Acid, salt and sugar are common to both products. Wine additionally contains tannin and alcohol, and cheese contains fat.

For the flavour combinations, salt and sugar always go well together. Salt suppresses bitterness and it balances sugar. Sweet wines therefore work with salty and pungent cheeses such a Danish Blue, Gorgonzola and Stilton so try Sauternes or port.

An acidic cheese such as goats cheese works well with an acidic wine. Acid also cleanses fat from the palate so acidic Chablis works well with fatty Brie or camembert. Brie and camembert are actually quite hard to match with wine because the tang of ammonia in the cheese often jars with the flavours in wine but an LBV port can also work nicely. Champagnes are another good choice for fatty cheeses. Both the acidity and the bubbles make it work.

As with acid and acid going together, slightly sweet wines also mix well with slightly sweet cheeses.

Tannin is a bitter tasting plant compound that gives red wine body and colour. High tannin wines and fatty cheese are a good combination in the mouth so try putting a Parmigiano-Reggiano with an Amarone or an Australian Cabernet with blue cheese. The fat from the cheese coats your mouth, preventing the tannin reacting with your saliva and this makes it nicer to drink.

As well as using the known components of cheese and wine to pair it, you can also try choosing products from the same area – the climate and soil type cause both to have a distinct flavour and they often go together well for this reason. “What grows together, goes together” often rings true. An example from Tuscany in Italy is their lovely firm ewe’s milk cheese, Pecorino Toscano, which work very well with the local Chianti.

There will be a lot of trial and error involved in coming up with amazing flavour combination but it is fun trying. Bear in mind that when choosing your cheese, there is great variance in flavour even if they are the same type of cheese or from the same area.

One of the most popular and common cheeses in the UK is cheddar – a hard cheese with a high fat content and a nutty flavour. Because it is popular with most people, it’s a good one to start with. A particularly tasty cheddar cheese is from Godminster Vintage. Try it with a Barossa Shiraz (red) and a Sauvignon Blanc (white) and see what you think. Keep notes of what you like and what you don’t, and gradually you will build up a list of winning combinations.

To get a good idea of cheese varieties and flavours, visit a good cheesemonger such as Neal’s Yard Dairy in Covent Garden, London, where you will find knowledgeable staff who will let you sample the cheeses and talk you through the flavours.

This is a post from: Classic Wine Direct

Pairing Cheese and Wine

Appropriately enough for someone contributing to the blog of a wine retailer, I’m of the opinion that wine is part of the holiday season, and purchasing ought to involve a little planning. There are significant bargains to be had online, but the realities of Christmas postage mean that the earlier you get in there, the better. But when you’re already worrying about buying gifts, wine may well slip your mind.

Unless of course, you’re buying wine gifts, in which case, you’re killing two birds with one stone. So why not help your hosts and yourself carry off wine ritual with even more class this year? Here are five classy ways to serve wine this season:

Champagne Saucers (Coupe)

There is certainly room for debate as to how classy champagne saucers are: the modern standard is the champagne flute, its elongated shape associated with preserving fizz and therefore taste. The champagne saucer is therefore defective in the eyes of the prescriptive wine connoisseur, especially as we currently prefer to serve dry champagnes.

Nonetheless, there’s a certain decadence in serving up your best champagne in a saucer. Popular in post-prohibition America and the sixties, they have a certain art nouveau-ish quality to them.

Champagne Buckets

The bucket is one of those common as muck items elevated to the richest tables in the land, but it’s not exactly like you can pop ice in any old bucket and carry off class. Some of the most stylish items you can own prove their elegance by being pretty much unusable for anything other than their intended use. If you go to the effort of purchasing an intricately etched crystal champagne bucket, you’re making a statement about your commitment to class.

Candle Holders

Naked flames are the perfect Christmas accompaniment. Now that open fires are unworkable (or simply, too much work) in many modern homes, the small scale comfort of a candle can be brought into play at any seasonal meal or gathering – candle holders aren’t just for romantics!

Decanters

Even top tier wine experts like Jancis Robinson debate whether there’s actually a significant benefit in wine aeration: short-term exposure to air is supposed to release flavours, but some say they’re suppressed. Of course, there’s the chance that sticking wine into a decanter doesn’t do an awful lot at all, but that just makes owning a decanter even more opulent. Modern decanters silence criticisms by proving themselves as beautiful sculptures in glass and crystal: keep them in a display cabinet the rest of the year so they can continue to impress.

Coloured Glasses

Whilst any stylish, designer wine glass will wow your guests, there is definite contemporary appeal in coloured glass. Black in particular brings a sophistication that fits perfectly into the formality of even the most formal black-tie event – though Black glass won’t look out of place at any Christmas gathering. Red perhaps, is the more festive alternative.

This is a post from: Classic Wine Direct

Five Classy Ways To Serve Up Some Holiday Cheer

When looking for wine gifts this winter, remember you don’t have to stick strictly to wine racks or wine glasses. Check some of the items below for a look at some superb, innovative gifts that will put smiles on the faces of all wine lovers this Christmas.

Wine Coolers

With so much wine flowing at Christmas, it’s important to find a way of keeping it fresh. It’s likely that your fridge at home will already be overflowing with food and drink so you may struggle finding the extra space for wine bottles.  This is where wine coolers come in. White, rosé and sparkling wine are all best served chilled and keeping bottles in a wine cooler will help ensure they remain at the optimal temperature. Cheap wine coolers  can be bought online or in a number of high street stores and come in a variety of sizes and so it should be easy to find one that fits comfortably in your kitchen.

Electric Corkscrew Gift Sets

You’ll be popping plenty of bottles this Christmas, so instead of risking that embarrassing moment of not being able pull the cork out of the bottle, find a an electric corkscrew that will do all of the work for you. Electric corkscrew gift sets range from novelty to funky and are great stocking filler. Buying one may even save you a few broken lampshades!

iPad2

iPad2’s are going to be in demand for people of all ages this Christmas and there are some wonderful apps available which make this a great wine gift idea. The AG (Approach Guides) wine app for example, allows users to make informed decisions about their next wine purchase by outlining information from a huge number of wine regions and across a variety of grape choices. Another great app is IntoWine which provides users recommendations for wines to compliment specific occasions and food dishes.  There are sure to be several iPad2 deals in the lead up to this  Christmas, make sure it’s you that’s wishing somebody  ‘Appy Christmas!

E-Readers

Most kitchens have relatively limited space available after all your appliances are installed. You may find lots of recipe and wine books tucked away in the corner of the kitchen or hidden on top of shelving units. What use are they there? An e-reader will allow wine lovers to take their favourite books on the go and learn more about their favourite wines through their favourite blogs and newspaper articles. E-readers can be conveniently referenced from when cooking too. You could even take this a step further and pre-load the e-reader with some of the best wine e-books such as ‘Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine 2011’.

Wine Tasting Experience

Wine tasting experiences allow for a friend or family member to truly taste some great wines and vintages from across the world and that they previously may never have been able to experience. They will be greeted and talked through the best wine tasting methods by a wine expert and will be able to truly learn what makes a fine bottle of wine. There are also vineyard tours which allow wine lovers to witness the whole process, from grape to glass. Experts will be able to teach which wines compliment which meals and how to best choose wines for all occasions.

This is a post from: Classic Wine Direct

Creative Wine Gifts For Christmas Connoisseurs

1. Counter-Top racks: The first option when deciding how to display your used or unused wine bottles, is to employ your existing display surfaces. For most of us, the most ample space in this category is the kitchen counter. If simply setting a few along the backsplash looks cluttered or takes up too much space, consider several different options of counter-top wine racks to suit your kitchen theme.

2. Shelves and Window Sills: If the natural kitchen storage is too full for your bottles to accentuate, then move to your other natural, though unused surfaces. Many kitchens have cabinets that do not fully reach the ceiling. The benefit of these sorts of cabinets is that they offer a great décor level that wreaths the room.

When I have seen bottles displayed as decoration, they are usually lining the tops of cabinets. Don’t over-do this however, or your kitchen will look like a reckless shrine to Dionysus (unless, of course, that’s what you’re going for!). Another great option is the window sill. If you have windows with broad sills that are covered with curtains rather than blinds (in any room), these can be ideal spots to stand a few empty bottles. Try to be feng shui about it, and avoid absolute symmetry and excessive patterns which make the attempted decoration look forced or awkward. I would not recommend storing unopened bottles on window sills, however (for hopefully obvious reasons). Try to store your wine out of direct sunlight!

3. Wine Cabinets/racks: Stand alone wine racks are the most elegant way to display wine bottles, especially if you have the space. In my own home, I have a great granite-topped wood rack with casters, a fruit basket and slide-out drawer that sits in an otherwise useless small space beside the entryway to the kitchen. There are more immaculate examples, however.

4. Hanging Racks: If the space is simply not available, then move to the walls! Walls are surprisingly the most underutilized storage spaces for how fun they can be!

5. Multi-purpose furniture: Now we get to the more interesting options! If you simply don’t have the space to implement any of the above wine rack options, then try to consolidate! Consider regular furniture that contains built-in wine storage. There are dozens of options here, the most popular being the dining table/wine rack combo, the wine rack coffee table, or end table. These fit into your room’s normal accommodations and even bring the love of wine into every area of the house!

6. Vases: I have seen dozens of wine bottle vases that really wowed me. Whether you simply stick a flower in the mouth of the bottle, or you try glass cutting/slumping/staining techniques to turn your bottles into designer vases, your bottles can sit proudly on top of the dinner table, nightstand, bathroom counter, porch, or garden.

7. Get Wild: Maybe you don’t want a civilized option. Maybe your goal is to do something crazy and turn your home or room into a creative celebration of good times!

Ethan S. writes on behalf of Design55 a UK-based designer furniture shop with a wide selection of wine related Design55 Homewares.

This is a post from: Classic Wine Direct

7 Classic Ways to Display Your Wine Bottles

So what exactly is a wine and cheese party? Just what it sounds like! It’s the opportunity to have over friends and colleagues to taste different types of wines paired with different types of cheeses. Dress is often business casual or nicer if you so desire, and the atmosphere is warm and inviting to conversation. A wine and cheese party is not an opportunity for patrons to drink too much and stuff their faces. The point is not to get pissed or go into a “cheese coma.” The point is to enjoy the company and experience different wine and cheese offerings from around the world — to “transport,” so to speak, the guests into different cultures as they sample what you have to offer.

But don’t worry, just because it may sound like a lot of work doesn’t mean it is. And just because it sounds like a wine and cheese party is only for “elevated” company doesn’t mean you can’t throw a great one on a budget. But there are a few key mistakes and misconceptions you need to avoid, and a few great ideas to help make your wine and cheese party a big success.

1. Less is Best
Don’t feel like you need to stock up on tons of cheese and wine. And definitely don’t just assume you can go to the grocery and randomly pick out a bunch of cheese and have it work out. In fact, instead of getting every single type of cheese under the sun and 5 bottles of each of your favourite wines, take just a little time to focus on quality over quantity. Remember, it’s not about stuffing your face and drinking excessively. It’s about savouring the selections and enjoying the company.

2. Pair your Offerings
The most successful wine and cheese parties have paired offerings. That doesn’t mean you have to be a wine expert by any means. Just a bit of quick research will help you know what flavours will match and what flavours will clash. Have a soft cheese, a hard cheese, a semi-soft cheese, and a semi-hard cheese. Each type will go well with a certain type of wine. For instance, a Sauvignon Blanc goes well with soft cheeses, while Chardonnay goes well with harder cheeses. It’s not hard to find great suggestions for these matches. Good wine companies will often insist on certain pairings. And feel free to make the pairings themed as well, such as pairing them based on certain regions of Italy.

3. Presentation is Important
At a wine and cheese party, presentation really does matter. Don’t clump everything together. If you can, have different glasses for each type of wine. Don’t leave wrappers lying around, and definitely don’t use paper plates. Put the cheese on a nice platter and have small bread plates available for the guests. Toothpicks for the cheese are fine if your guests don’t want to use their hands. Add to the ambiance by avoiding overhead lighting and turning on some nice classical music (and coordinate the music with your theme, if you have one).

4. Space and Pace
Space out the different stations for your different offerings around the party area, be it your living room and kitchen, or whatever part of the house you choose. That way the guests will walk between stations and interact with each other instead of congregating by one table in particular. Also be sure to pace guests by introducing each pairing and talking a little bit about why you chose to host the gathering. Don’t interrupt often, but if you intend for the event to go 2 hours, give an introduction and then perhaps a brief talk about 45 minutes later. You can also feel free to have ice breakers for each table if it’s a mixed group of guests. Remember, your goal is to encourage interaction between the people in attendance.

5. Don’t Forget the Extras
Have additional foods, such as pieces of French bread, crackers, and light fruits (no citruses) laying around to make sure they have more than just cheese in their stomachs and that they’re cleansing their pallets before moving on. If you want to also offer chocolate, make sure it’s heavy dark chocolate and not milk.

Hosting a wine and cheese party can really add an elegant touch to your lifestyle. And it needn’t be a big fuss either. With just these few tips and a bit of research, you’ll be on your way to hosting a successful get together.

Laura writes on behalf of My Paper Shop, on online retailer of cocktail napkins and serving trays. Image courtesy of Flickr user divya_

This is a post from: Classic Wine Direct

Hosting A Wine And Cheese Party

What to buy:

Lack of market knowledge has been translated into a lacking appreciation for Rosé wines: people have often tried only the cheapest wines and decided that they’re representative of the whole lot. Take some time to explore the range out there, and you’ll discover what suits you and your friends best.

• Descriptions of Rosé are similar to those of whites: we grade them on a scale of dryness, from Bone Dry to Dry, Medium and Sweet.
• Bone Dry and Dry are obviously those with the easily tasted tannins, the sweet examples those with a pleasant sugary taste. Medium Roses strike a decent balance between the two extremes.
• Find out more by visiting our Wine Tasting guide.
• Countries and regions renowned for quality wines include Rioja in Spain, the Loire Valley in France (the historical centre of the stuff) and Abruzzo in Italy. You’ll also find up and coming centres in Australia, South Africa, and even some fantastic English examples!
• Look out for our award winning wines, but don’t limit yourself to them: remember, these wines are underappreciated, and half the fun is in finding the best ones yourself!

When to Serve it:

Know when wines are best served is a complex arrangement, but one that is often overridden by the simply fact that sometimes, you just want a certain wine. Still, if you’re entertaining, it’s imperative to know what wines to serve when.

• For the purposes of food matching, Rosé wine is often considered similar to white wine and will usually do in those situations where it is appropriate: with fish and white meat. Of course, Rosé also shares characteristics with red wines, and whilst not heavy enough for Steaks, fuller-bodied instance are not incompatible with many red meats.
• As such, they can often be useful for maintaining a food matching plan when with a group of people who generally prefer to drink just white or just red.
• Rosé is generally not associated with wine aging and virtually every bottle you buy will be best served within two to three years and would have tasted just as pleasant if you’d consumed it on the day of purchase.
• This isn’t to say that no examples benefit from aging, but the vast majority of serious ones will be pre-aged, sometimes in Oak barrels, so you don’t have to wait around to enjoy them.

How to serve it:

How you serve a wine isn’t as complex as knowing the precise pitch and yaw of the bottle as you pour it into a glass, but you’d be forgiven for thinking that the ritual could extend so far. The following tips are good etiquette to keep in mind, but don’t be a slave to them!

• The optimal consumption temperature of these wines is around eight degrees celsius, so pop them in the fridge for a few hours before serving, unless you have a dedicated wine cooler (domestic fridges actually operate at around two degrees Celsius, so it’s best not to store the wine there).
• Because of this, most people will serve Rose in white wine glasses, because the longer stem prevents you from warming the wine with your hand.
• However, dedicated Rose wine glasses are better still, combining long stems with a wider lip to capitalise on the red-like aromatic qualities of the wine.
• Choosing additional glassware such as a wine decanter can also help to improve the serving experience.

Conclusion

The last thirty years have seen several rising trends in wine. World wine is the most obvious, but greater appreciation for Rosé has been just as important. With a trend towards wider recognition now that its market potential has been fully established, it’s worth enjoying these great wines before demand inevitably pushes prices higher! You can find our full range here. We hope this guide helps you to enjoy yourself with good company, great food and classic wine!

The Classic Wine Direct ‘How To’ Series

How to: Buy Red Wine
How to: Buy White Wine
How to: Buy Rosé Wine
How to: Buy Champagne and Sparkling Wine (Coming Soon)
… And more to follow!

This is a post from: Classic Wine Direct

How To: Buy Rose Wine

Having already revealed our list of buying tips for red wines, we move onto the obvious need for a white wine buying guide. Many treat buying white wine with little thought: It’s relatively hard to find a white wine that you’ll want to tip away the moment you taste, and most are quite pleasant. But White wines have an enormous range of tastes to explore, and the difference between a top-quality bottle and a merely passable one is something you’ll never forget when you first taste it.

What to buy:

Classification of white wine isn’t quite as complex as with red, but there are several things to take into account. Most wine merchants will classify their wines by discussing how dry they are, as well classifying them by texture or other aspects of taste.

• Similar to the ‘body’ indicator on our red wines, we have a small tasting chart that indicates the dryness of our white wines: classifications include Bone Dry, Dry, Medium and Sweet.
• Bone dry and dry white wines have little residual sugar (0g to 4g), whereas Sweet wines have 45g and above. The gulf in between is covered by the ‘medium’ bracket.
• You’re bound to have tried wines made from certain grape types before, so these are a good starting point for discovering what you already like. Popular wines like Chardonnay often tread the line between Dry and Medium, and they represent a decent starting point.
• We also classify wines as ‘Rich & Creamy’, ‘Fruity’ and ‘Aromatic’. These labels reveal what you should expect as far as taste, texture and (the presence) of bouquet. They’re often among the most interesting wines for enthusiasts, but they’re also the most likely to prove to be ‘acquired tastes’.

Exploring what whites are out there is part of the fun of getting into wine. Find where your interests lie, and share your findings with your friends!

When to Serve it:

Knowing when to serve wine is a matter of knowing both when a wine is ready to serve and what to serve it with. These matters can be quite complex, but the basics are worth grasping!

• The old directive of ‘White wine with White meat’ is true enough that you should remember it. The basic theory goes that white wines aren’t discernable when drank with red meats.
• Those who pair off food with skill believe that different grape types are more or less suitable with certain foodstuffs. White Riesling alone is said to be good with chocolate, Chenin Blanc and Gewurztraminer are good with Asian food.
• Unfortunately, the people who recommend such narrow advice can’t actually taste things for you, so you’re on your own when it comes to refining your pallete beyond the directive of ‘white meat’.
• Most white wines don’t benefit from aging, partly because of the absence of tannins (because grape skins are removed early in fermentation). Nevertheless, Chenin Blanc amd more expensive Chardonnays can be drunk as much as five years from their vintage date. Riesling is often worth aging: the cheapest examples in 3 to 4 years, the most expensive can be aged for decades with stunning results.

How to serve it:

Serving wine is something of a ritual, and there are some rules for preparing your wine for drinking that are worth taking note of: they’re not just arbitrary impositions, they actually improve the taste, and allow great wine to shine!

• White wines are among those which should be served chilled, at between 9 degrees down to 5 degrees. Conventional fridges are a little too cold, (2 degrees), so it’s actually not essential to leave your wine in the fridge – store somewhere cool and out of the light.
• In keeping with the chilled theme, white wine glasses are the type with the tall stem and narrower mouth: so you don’t heat the wine as you take time over drinking and enjoying it!

Conclusion

One of the fantastic things when you buy wine online is that you can structure the way you discover wines, rather than simply consuming them. Lifting any old bottle off the shelf at your local supermarket will tell you nothing of the wine you’re drinking, and you’ll probably end up going for the same thing again and again. Wine drinking can be a lot more fun than this, and you owe it to yourself to make it so!

The Classic Wine Direct ‘How To’ Series

How to: Buy Red Wine
How to: Buy White Wine
How to: Buy Rosé Wine
How to: Buy Champagne and Sparkling Wine (Coming Soon)
… And more to follow!

This is a post from: Classic Wine Direct

How To: Buy White Wine

The Germany wine history is thought to have begun with the Romans in the 1^st century, with the first vineyards being planted in near the Rhins’ left bank. The plants spread to Mosel in about the 3^rd century. In the Middle Ages wine production developed further, mainly for use in the Church. It was in the 15^th century that vine growing had really exploded with the area of land covered in vines being 4 times bigger than today. In the 17^th century however, the wine culture was it with a crisis when prices fell because of competition from beer and general over production. Next the 30 Year War took place and Alsace was named a French Province, however wines quality then began to increase and in 1712 the term ‘Cabinet’ was put in place to describe wine of a premium standard. In the 19^th century technological progress further helped enhance wine quality and the German wine reached a golden age. Within this time wine from Rhine would reach higher prices than that of Bordeaux! Unfortunately this would not last long, with Phylloxera and both political and financial troubles in the early 20^th century meaning the wine economy struggled heavily. It is only in the last few decades that German wines has begun to thrive once more; smaller growers have found the potential for German vineyards to develop wonderful wines again. Good dry wines are now a popular export.

There is a wealth of wine growing regions across Germany, but here is a brief overview of some of the regions considered to be the best in wine production areas across the country:

Ahr – This is a small but important wine region. It is one of the finest regions for producing red wine and uses the Pinot Noir grape. Ahr producers to try include: Adeneuer, Ahr Winzer eG, Deutzerhof, Kreuzberg, Maibachfarm, Meyer-Näkel, Nelles, Riske Erwin and Riske Reinhold.

Mittlerhein – A tiny but stunning region along the Rhine, here White Wine is popular product made from Riseling grape. It is not often exported however, so wine from this region should be tried on a Germany holiday! Mittlerhein producers to try include: Bastian, Lanius-Knab, Mades, Didinger, Dr. Kauer, Mohr und Söhne, Müller Matthias and Perll August.

Mosel-Saar-Ruwer – This region is renowned for producing some of Germany’s most high quality wines. The best vineyards are found on the steep hillsides overlooking the Moselle River. Mosel-Saar-Ruwer producers to try include: Bastgen, Blees-Ferber, Lauer Peter, Lehnert-Veit, Prüm, Haart Reinhold and Hain Kurt (to name just a handful).

Rheingau – Another region famed for producing Germany’s highest quality wins. The vineyards are south facing which is essential for ripening in what can be an often cold climate here. Rheingau producers to try include: Breuer Georg, Eser August, Prinz von Hessen, Toni Jost Hahnenhof, Prinz Fred and Weil Robert.

Nahe – Known for yielding excellent Rieslings, this area is considered on par with Mosel. The area is also known for its therapeutic baths and casino – excellent for those who want an unwinding break tasting the local produce and then relaxing! Nahe producers to try include: Adelseck, Bamberger Karl-Kurt, Dönnhoff Hermann, Dr. Crusius, Emrich-Schönleber, Rapp Walter and Finkenauer Anton.

Rheinhessen – This is the largest of all Germany wine regions.  The wines are mainly of Muller-Thurgau and or Sylvaner and the aim is generally quantity instead of quality. Rheinhessen producers to try include: Heyl zu Herrnsheim, Louis Guntrum, Manz, Milch, Neef-Emmich, Göhring, Gutzler and Gysler.

Pfalz – This one of the most up-and-coming wine regions in the country, it produces pleasant red and white wines. This German wine region produces the largest volume of wine of all the country. Pfalz producers to try include: Acham-Magin, Ackermann Karl-Heinz, Borell-Diehl, Brenneis-Koch, Christmann Arnold and Weingut Weegmuller.

This is a post from: Classic Wine Direct

Europe’s Wine Regions: A Guide to Germany

Italy has one of the longest histories of wine production in the world. Wine production in the country traces back to the Mesopotamians (in around 4000-3000BC), these people who lived near (present day) Iran left their marks on the Mediterranean coastline, whilst Spaniards brought vines to regions across Italy too. It was he Romans who made the largest contribution to Italy wine production across all regions however. The Romans would drink wine with every meal, mixing it with water to weaken the alcoholic content. Their most prized wine was white and they were fond of sweet tasting numbers too. Developing many important wine production techniques the Romans export these to other areas across Europe and these were common place for many centuries. Unfortunately during the 19^th and 20^th century Italian wine was criticised for a poor overall quality and so the DOCG wine regulations were put in place to improve consistency and standard – to much success. Today Italy’s wine is considered some of the best in the world!

There are twenty different wine regions to pick, but arguably the best regions are: Tuscany, Campania, Umbria, Piedmont and Lombardy.

Tuscany – This region is famed for its gorgeous selection of red wines. Since the 90’s the areas has been successful at producing wines with a globally popular taste, these Super Tuscans, have made a much respected name for the area. However there is also a growing focus on traditional wine making techniques of late. Meaning there are many great little wines alongside the collectors’ items.

Tuscan wine producers to try: Brunello, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Giovanni Ciacci.

Campania – This area has numerous native grapes including the Fiano, Coda di Volpe and Greco. The style of wine production in the area is mainly that for immediate consumption and enjoyment by locals however there are a number of notable wines that do get exported. The most famous wine of the region is the Lacrima Christi, but has decreased in reputation over the years as it was so overproduced.

Campania producers to try: Marisa Cuomo/Gran Furore and Giuseppe Apicella

Umbria – The stunning area of Umbria, Italy is a popular Italy Holiday choice and also an important wine making region. Although sometimes overshadowed by nearby Tuscany, Umbria is gaining in recognition as an excellent wine producing area, for both white and red wine. Many of the Umbria vineyards are located on the luscious green hillsides.

Umbria producers to try: Caprai, Paolo Bea, Falesco, Ruffino, Antinori and Barone Ricasoli.

Piedmont – Often called the ‘Burgundy of Italy’, this region is renowned for outstanding cuisine and boutique wine production. Most of the Piedmont wine growers are family owned with villages devoted to the business.

Piedmont producers to try: Pio Cesare, Braida, Ceretto, Roagna, Mossio and Also Conterno.

Lombardy – Although Lombardy is known as an industrial centre of the country, its wine production is actually more renowned for its boutique style. Popular Lombardy red’s come from the far north in Valtellina, where the main grape is Chiavennasca. They are located on steep hillsides. There are a variety of excellent white wines produced in Lombardy too.

Producers to try include: Giggi Rono, Nino Negri, Conti Sertoli Salis, Pasini, Provenza, Costaripa and La Basia.

This is a post from: Classic Wine Direct

Europe’s Wine Regions: A Guide to Italy

This week in Sam’s Easyjet tour of Europe’s wine regions, we’re in Portugal!

Portugal’s wine production has been in place since before the Portuguese nationality itself. It is thought the first production of Portuguese wine was made in around 2000BC. In the 10^th Century BC the Phoenicians took control and introduced many new grapes and in the 7^th century BC the Greeks saw production develop further.  It wasn’t until the latter half of the 14t century that a major boom in exportation occurred. Unfortunately in the 19^th century the phylloxera plague devastated many Portuguese vineyards and it took until the early 20^th century for wine regions to flourish once more. In 1986 Portugal’s wine regions were re-defined as Portugal became part of the EU.

There are 19 wine regions in Portugal however the country can be understood in to six key regions, Duoro, Dão and Bairrada, Alentejo, Ribatejo and Estemadura in the southern area. Here’s a brief overview of these:

The Duoro – It is only recently that the Duroro region has adapted to ensure it is considered Portugal’s most premium region for wine production. With a sudden overhaul of the region by likeminded wine producers, the previously poor quality table wines that used to come about here have been swapped for the very best wines imaginable. Dirk Niepoort has been one of the most influential players in the development in the region, having had great success in leading other producers to better things. Known for its delightful white exports the region’s biggest names include: Niepoort’s Redoman, Poeria and Pintas, Vallado, Batuta and Charme, Crasto and Chryseia.

Barriada – This region is famous for just the use of predominantly one grape, Baga, 80% of the wines from the area are red, thick skinned and high in acidity and tannic. Some find it a challenging taste. Barriada is the home to over 4700 registered growers (an incredible number) and is clearly the place to be for Portugese smallholders. Most do sell their grapes to the large co-operatives in the business. Famous producers to try include: Luis Pato, Quinta das Bágeiras, Casa de Saima and Quinta do Baixo. There a few popular sparkling white wines to come out of this region too.

Dão – Over the last decade alone the resulting red wines of Dão have changed dramatically. Production was previously dominated by competitive pricing with cooperatives and meant the wines being produced were less than average, tough, tannic numbers. There are still several unspectacular wines that come from the region, but in general the standard has risen. The climate and granitic soil of the region means that grapes are ripe with good acidity and when handled correctly can produce sophisticated and dynamic red wines. Main producers to look out for in the region are: Vinhos Borges, Sogrape, Dão Sul, Quinta dos Roquess, Quinta das Maias and as Saes.

Alentejo – This region has been a vital part in the revolution of Portugal’s wines. Two distinctive styles of red wine are found here; the traditional style exemplified by producers like José Maria da Fonseca who used clay pots to ferment his produce and the modern, fruit forward style is popular worldwide. Producers to try include: José Maria da Fonseca, Baverstock, João Portugal Ramos, Cortes de Cima and Mouchão.

Ribatejo – A region that is currently making reasonable, soft-textured and ripe red wines at fantastic supermarket prices, you’ll also find a few superior Portugal wine producers but the Ribatejo region still has some way to go in defining itself as world-class. Producers to look out for include: João Ramos, Rui Reguinga and Quinta do Lagoalva.

Estremadura – This region produces a mixed bag of exports and high quality red wines, and a few fruity whites too. Based nearby Lisbon this region is a popular Portugal holiday destination for those who wish to see the vineyards. Key producers to try from the region include: José Neiva.

This is a post from: Classic Wine Direct

Europe’s Wine Regions: A Guide to Portugal

Continuing this month’s series, Sam Bird, is Easyjetting off to Spain to take a look at their major wine producing regions.

Spanish wine production was most greatly introduced by the Romans, however there are some historic signs that wine was in production even further back. In around 218-219B.C vineyards were cultivated in Gadir (now Cadiz) and Xera (now Jerez) by the Phoenician’s where the climate was perfect for creating sweet, strong wine. Spanish wine became one of the most popularly exchanged goods between Mediterranean and North African regions.

In the 13^th century, the occupying Arabs continued to advance wine production in the country and after the Catholic Reconquest, Spain came to be a potent contribution to the growth of wine culture supported by great conquerors such as Columbus on their journeys.

It was in the late 19^th century that the modern history of wine in Spain began, in La Rioja (the most renown of all the country’s wine growing regions). Industrialisation in the 20^th century however, had negative impacts on the wine quality in Spain. Wine production was controlled by a few huge organisations which felt quantity over quality was the best policy. It wasn’t until around 1960 that wine producers went back to the importance of quality and began to again receive acclaim internationally.

There are over 60 wine regions in Spain, spanning the entire country from north to south, east to west. Here are 5 of the Key Spanish wine regions, and their resulting wines:

Rioja – Known as the ‘sweetheart’ of Spanish red wine producing regions, Rioja is split into three areas; Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa are known for their cooler climates whereas Rioja Baja experiences more temperate conditions. The majority of Rioja based wines are produced from the Tempranillo grape and are often blended with Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano. Rioja wines are also known for their easy-to-understand classification system, with the three classifications (Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva) providing an instant guide to age, taste and price.

Rioja wine producers to try: Marques de Caceres, Baron de Ley, Montecillo, La Rioja Alta and Muga.

Ribera del Duero – Another influential Spain wine region produced mainly from the vibrant Tempranillo grape. Situated smack in the centre of northern Spain; the weather is known to be extreme, meaning the grapes of the Ribera del Duero wines have had to resist a variety of different climates. It is this strength that gives the wine of this region a strong and intense flavour.

Ribera del Duero producers to try: Vega Sicilia, Condado de Haza and Pesquera.

Penedes – This wine region is known for its sparkling wines, reds and white. Based near Barcelona it is a popular choice with city tourists on their holidays in Spain! Big name Spanish sparkling wines to try include Freixenet and Cordoniu which are both usually very affordable. The reds and whites of this region are also known to be reasonably priced but very popular.

Penedes producers to try: Torres, Cordoniu and Freixenet.

Rias Baixas – This area located on the northwest of Galician region is known for its wealth of Albarino grapes which produce delicious and refreshing white wines. They are loved for their dry, medium-bodied qualities and their fruit-forward flavours.

Rias Baixas producers to try: Lusco, Burgans, Salneval and Valminor.

Priorato – Here wine is grown in the mountainous landscapes of north-east Spain. Strong reds are produced here using a variety of Garnacha, Carignan, Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. With their high alcohol levels they are some of the highest priced Spanish wines.

Priorato producers to try: Clos Mogador, Pasanau

This is a post from: Classic Wine Direct

Europe’s Wine Regions: A Guide to Spain

In a new series running this month, Sam Bird, a writer for EasyJet, explores the Ins and Outs of the wine regions of Europe. This week, we’re off to France.

France has an extensive and interesting history of wine production, for many it is the epitome of a fine wine growing region. It is the Greeks and Romans who were first attributed to planting vineyards in the country. Then in about the 5^th century the French church took ownership of the vines and production of wine (mainly for use in the Holy Sacrament). Wine production in France continued to grow for many centuries and trade to foreign lands increased, however in 1800 phylloxera (an insect disease that destroys vine roots) destroyed many important vine covered region. After struggling to overcome this, French wine production saw another blow in the 1900s when two world wars sore a decline in the wine economy and, hand in hand with this, a decrease in French wine availability and quality. It was then that the AOC was developed (the Appellation d’Origine Controlee – which translates as “regulated origin name”) an organisation that outlined the modern day standards and regulations to protect and define the quality of wines and the grapes within a region. This new system served to transform the country’s wine reputation and encourage consistency in quality for the French wine market.

There are numerous areas in France where wine production is carried out. Here are five of the key regions:

Champagne – There are over 14,000 growers spread across three main production areas within Champagne. Most of the grapes produced annually are purchased by the Champagne houses but there are still approx. 5,000 growers who do produce under their own labels.

Champagne producers to try: Moët, Chandon (Dom Perignon), Louis Roederer, (Cristal), Mumm, Krug, Bollinger, and Taittinger.

The Loire Valley – This huge expanse includes many vineyards producing a variety of wines. From the Muscadet (produced near Nantes) to Cabernet Franc reds in Saumur, Vouvray and Anjou, then there are the affordable Sauvignon Blancs of Touraine. This beautiful region is not only famous for its fantastic wines but it is a popular choice for French holidays too.

Loire producers to try: Domaine des Aubuisières, Marc Brédif. Pellé, Chavet, Teiller, Isabel, Cloudy Bay, Jackson Estate and Villa Maria.

Bordeaux – When it comes to France wine on offer, Bordeaux produced numbers have to be one of the most world renowned. The prices are usually on the higher end of the market, with the demand outstretching what growers of the region can produce. For lower price Bordeuax wine you need to head to small growers in Cote de Castillon or Graves.

Bordeaux Producers to try: Château Latour, Chateau Clinet, Chateau Lafleur, Chateau Petrus and Chateau La Conseillante.

Burgundy – This area is well known for its diverse wine production with both Pinot Noirs and Chardonnay reds a popular export. There are many different tastes to be found in both forms too, this is due to a mix of the varied climate and the way in which growers in the area adopt different production styles and techniques.

Bordeaux Producers to try: Romanée-Conti, Leflaive, Dauvissat Comtes Lafon, Arnoux and Leroy.

Languedoc – This is one of the largest wine production regions although it has a bit of a reputation for producing lower quality wines, though this is beginning to change. It is inland from the coast and up on the Haut Languedoc slopes that the highest quality wines can be found as well as the Corbieres area.

Languedoc Producers to try: Cotes du Roussillon and Costières des Nimes.

This is a post from: Classic Wine Direct

Europe’s Wine Regions: A Guide to France

Picking your venue and buying the dress may be top of your wedding to do list, but have you given any thought to which wines to serve? Wine can make or break a meal, so make sure to plan in advance for the perfect wedding feast.

Wine and Food Matching

Your choice of wines should be influenced by your chosen meals. Consider choosing wines at the same time as you set your menu. This will give you the chance to taste the wine at the same time as your food, so you can see if you’ve got the balance right.

Failing that, there are classic wine and food combinations that you can use as a guideline:

Poultry The traditional choice is a good white wine, chardonnay for example, although lighter reds can work too.

Red Meat Red meat needs to be paired with gutsy wines so the flavour isn’t overpowered; red wines like claret are a popular choice.

Game and Lamb Red wine is also the perfect partner for game and lamb dishes, try merlot or mature rioja.

Fish White wines complement fish beautifully; creamy oaked chenin blanc is perfect with a “meatier” fish, while a crisp chablis would suit lighter fish flavours.

It’s also important to consider the dinnerware you are going to present the food on and make sure it ties in with your location and the type of dish being served.

Wine for the Toast

A good fizzy wine is always the number one choice to toast the happy couple. While champagne may be traditional, the hefty price tag may be off-putting. With so many excellent cavas and proseccos on the market, choosing a more affordable sparkling wine is easy.

If nothing but French fizz will do, dry champagnes are ideal for your wedding toast, although some guests may prefer sweeter, medium dry bubbles.

Don’t forget there are now excellent varieties of sparkling rose and even sparkling reds, if you want a twist on tradition.

How Much Wine to Serve

One of the key difficulties that you’ll find is deciding how much wine to serve. As a general guideline, allow half a bottle per wedding guest during the meal. For the toast, you’ll need a glass of sparkling wine per person, and a bottle of fizz will usually serve 6.

You also have the dilemma of whether or not to provide a free bar with wine. This will depend on your venue – if they have a bar, guests can buy their own – and of course on how much you want to spend.

Give Your Wedding Guests Choice

Be sure to allow for differences in taste – red wine isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Always try to offer both a red and a white choice to ensure that there is something for everyone.

Equally, some do not like the taste of champagne, so serving an alternative like a sweeter sparkling rose is a good idea.

When it comes to picking great wine for your wedding there is a lot to consider. Plan ahead, try not to be too experimental with your choices, and be sure to ask for help if you need it.

Wayne Barker works with Portfolio of Fine Diamonds, creators of a stunning range of diamond engagement rings.

image courtesy of epSos.de

This is a post from: Classic Wine Direct

Great Wine for Your Wedding Guests

BAUMATIC BW18BL

Price: £140

Right at the very bottom of the price range we find the BAUMATIC BW18BL which will set you back around £140.  This ‘mini chiller’ can hold up to 18 bottles (enough for a night out with Gazza).  It stores red and white wines at optimum temperature and is great cooler for a smaller collection.

CAPLE WF332

Price: £360

Once you have more than 18 bottles (because we wouldn’t dream of actually drinking the wine) it may be time to upgrade and this means increasing your budget. For around £360 you can buy the CAPLE WF332, which will allow you to increase your collection to 33 bottles. It also has an adjustable thermostat which means you can get the perfect temperature to suit either red or white wine!

LIEBHERR WK1802

Price: £600

Moving up in the world? It’s time to upgrade again, and the LIEBHERR WK1802 at around £600 offers more space coupled with increased security. Operating at adjustable temperatures for both red and white wine this model can hold up to 68 bottles.  With temperature display and lockable door, your finest wine will be safe and sound.

BAUMATIC BWC614SS

Price: £1000

Now you’re moving into Bond price ranges, with a wine cooler to impress!  For a tad under £1000 you can buy the BAUMATIC BWC614SS, which can hold 92 bottles, catering for both red and white wine, and here is the impressive bit – it has multi- temperature settings for different zones, so you can have different types of wine in the same cooler. It also has 1kw energy consumption, making it extremely energy efficient.

MIELE KWT 4974 SGED

Price: £4000

Now for the big daddy, maybe better suited for a high class restaurant, but if you really have money to burn the MIELE KWT 4974 SGED at just over £4000 is the cooler for you!  With all the security one needs and 143 bottle capacity, this machine has 3 separate zones to store red, white and rose at your desired temperature.

As you can see there is a vast range of wine coolers out there and typically the price goes up with the number of bottles you want to hold.  If you have some classic wines, it would be well worth buying at least the economy option to hold your favourites, keeping them secure and at optimum temperature.

This article was written by Matt Graham, who thinks that fridge freezers are a great alternative to a specific wine cooler.

This is a post from: Classic Wine Direct

A wine cooler for every budget

The news from Buckingham palace is that the royal family is not only planting their own vineyard in the grounds of Windsor Great Park (ok, so Charles probably won’t be down there in his dungarees), but they’re specifically setting out to make a prestigious sparkling wine. 16,700 vines will be planted, proportionally biased towards Chardonnay, with a portion of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Those three grapes should sound familiar to all wine lovers: that’s right, the queen wants to make her own champagne!

Of course, due to European and International protection, it won’t be possible to actually refer to the Queen’s bubbly as Champagne, but with the royal seal on the bottle along with the name of the world’s only recognisable royal family, this will be a sparkling wine with a fighting chance.

Not that English Wine isn’t well stocked with quality sparklers without the queen poking her nose in. Of the four million bottles produced last year, half of it was sparkling. And the industry as a whole is seeing massive growth: they’re now planting on 75% more land than just seven years ago. This is all rather fortunate, considering that it takes at least three years from initial planting to the first quality yield, the Windsor wine won’t be on sale for quite some time.

The future of domestic wine is bright indeed, and whilst English production is far behind any one region of France, it’s making its name in terms of quality and affordability.

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A Right Royal Vintage

Fortunately, the food and wine pairing for barbecues is more forgiving than other meals, partly due to the variety of foods you’re likely to be serving. The warm weather will even let you get away with serving reds – as well as whites and rosés – chilled. Since the wine you choose to serve with your barbecue is never going to be the sort you’d serve with a more complex and formal meal, choose from a wide selection of reasonably-priced wine which is ready to drink. Many wines will pair well with a variety of dishes, so pick carefully and you need only buy a few bottles, but make sure there’s enough of a variety to satisfy everyone.

If you’re serving a grilled fish dish, or lots of grilled and lightly seasoned vegetables, a crisp or fruity white is a must, particularly since vegetable skewers and lots of salad are likely to be on the menu.

An Italian Pinot Gris is good for a light fish dish, grilled chicken, or vegetable kebabs, even with a slightly spicy rub, as is a dry Sauvignon Blanc, fresh with amazing citrus flavours. Albariño is a classy, but possibly more expensive, option. You can also find a white Zinfandel, which will pair well with a light grilled chicken dish.

A fruity rosé can be a lifesaver at a barbecue. You can find strong rosés made from shiraz or cabernet sauvingnon grapes, and a good rosé is fantastically food-friendly. A rosé works particularly well with meatier fish, such as grilled tuna or salmon, particularly with a slightly spicy marinade, or go for a light- or medium-bodied red.

The mainstay of the barbecue is the meat, whether you’re serving ribs, burgers, steak, or chops, so be sure to choose a red or two. The strong tannins in a Cabernet Sauvignon complement the fat in the meat (particularly good for barbecues!), while a soft, less astringent Merlot is a great alternative to Cabernet Sauvignon, and it can be drunk with or without food. It pairs perfectly with red meat, and even lighter chicken dishes. A Merlot may be a less daunting proposition for those who don’t usually drink wine and bottles of both Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot can be found for between £5 and £10.

A bold red will also stand up to a barbecue sauce or spicy marinade, so you could also choose a Shiraz (old world wines are labelled Syrah) which will do well with meat, sausages, or a meaty grilled fish. Choose an Australian Shiraz if you’re looking for something less acidic. Or pick up a full-bodied Zinfandel from California or Australia. The young Zinfandels are ready to drink now and won’t break the bank.

Of course, everyone has their own preferences when it comes to wine, but if you shop around, you should be able to find some reasonably-priced wine, whether you’re cooking on a chiminea, a firepit, or a dedicated barbecue.

Lewis Davies loves barbecues and outdoor living and writes for chimineashop.co.uk.

This is a post from: Classic Wine Direct

Choosing Wines for the Barbecue Season

In the mean time, we’re pondering if there’s a better way to show true patriotism than by ordering in a crate of English wine (with apologies to the rest of the British isles of that preciseness!). With many street parties held off until the summer, there’ll still be plenty of opportunities for a little enthusiastic flag waving, and 2011 is already shaping up to be a great year for the home industry.

The Denbies Wine Estate have recently celebrated becoming the first English wine to be brought into the premium wine range of a major supermarket chain, but we’ve still got many of their finest vintages available. The award winning Greenfields Cuvee 2006 is a sparkling wine with an expert blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay, the same three grapes that go into Champagne. A similar theme can be found in Ridgeview’s Merret Bloomsbury 2008: this sparkling wine has been consistently successful, winning awards from the UK Vineyards Association and other bodies for previous vintages.

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Get Patriotic With English Wines!

With new consumer markets for wine growing daily, it’s unsurprising to see the Wines of Argentina page specifically targeting Chinese, Japanese and Russian alongside the chief languages of old world (and American) wine. But it’s perhaps the ‘old world’ that’ll need the biggest push. Malbec was once a major variety, especially in Bordeaux where it was historically part of the blend in some of the most important châteaux. Often attributed to a single frosty winter (1956), Malbec fell from grace because it was simply too susceptible to all the worst vineyard hazards: coulere and downey mildew among them.

It would be unfair to say that consumers have the same prejudices as producers, but Malbec is certainly not as widely renowned as it once was. It’s going to be exciting seeing how Argentinian Malbec evolves from here: they’re already producing some fantastic examples!

Malbec World Day may have been and gone, but Classic Wine Direct is no stranger to the appeal of the varietal and the various blends out there. Malbecs are Medium/Full to Full Bodied and typically best consumed with red meat dishes or perhaps just in any context where you want to relax with a glass of delicious red!

Award Winning Malbecs

Malbec may have all but disappeared from Bordeaux, but there are still wine making families connected with the varietal. The Cuvelier family’s Coleccion Cuvelier Los Andes 2006 brings an European touch to a Argentinian effort, and is renowned for being more than worthy of aging. Andeluna Cellars’ Andeluna Malbec 2009 on the other hand is cheaper, easily drinkable alternative and a silver medal winner at the 2009 Argentina Wine Awards

Fantastic Blends

Our Malbec / Cabernet Sauvignon Blends come from the Colome estate in and use bio-organic techniques.  The Colome Amalaya Malbec Blend 2009 is a popular example that we’ve championed here before, and the Colome Estate Malbec Blend 2008 is another award winner with a remarkably limited 900 bottle per vintage run.

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Malbec and Argentina Make It Official

Here are five of the of the most unusual wine glasses out there to turn your Beaujolais bonkers and your Zinfandel zany:

1. The Twister

This looks like something lifted straight from one of those impossible optical illusions and would create a real conversation pice for your dining table. Pouring wine from this however is nowhere near as spectacular as filling it up. Watching a rich red flow through the swooping tubes is a sight to behold.

2. The Stem-less

Does this look familiar? Perhaps it seems as though something is missing… That’s right, this your common garden wine glass, minus the stem! This is certainly a unique way to serve your plonk but one that should be reserved for the non-purists. Wine connoisseurs will no doubt criticise the heating effect of the hands have on the precious elixir inside due to the lack of that all-important stem.

3. The Pre-sealed

What’s odd about this particular receptacle is not so much the shape, as with the others in this list, but rather the material it’s made of and the fact that that it’s purchased with the wine already inside it! This new range of pre-poured wine from British department store Marks & Spencer is specially designed for picnics and the foil seal keeps oxygen out, ensuring the wine is as fresh and flavourful as if it had been decanted straight from the bottle, no corkscrew required!

4. The Insect

Reminiscent of the first entry on our list, this example features tubes that are consistent in width and a base created by six separate legs, giving it a distinct ‘insectoid’ look. This is certainly a grandiose way to serve wine and one that demands vigilance from guests when pouring, which is likely to require at least two sets of hands!

5. The Slice

These are certainly the most stylish looking glasses on the list, and with their wide bowl and clear and stem-still-in-tact, the most likely to please wine buffs. The diagonal slice that appears to have been cut across the bowl is a simple yet effective design feature, just pay attention when pouring!

This is a post from: Classic Wine Direct

5 Weird and Wacky Wine Glasses

What to buy:

Classification of red wine is a little more complex than the ‘dryness’ scales that govern white wine taste. The two main indicators on the Classic Wine Direct site are the tasting chart, which reveals the ‘body’ of our reds and the ‘style’ blurb: Red wines can be described as ‘Bold & Powerful’, ‘Deep & Complex’, ‘Fruity’, and ‘Smooth & Silky’.

• Our Red Wines are described as Light, Medium, Medium/Full and Full-Bodied. Light wines contain few tannins, full-bodied wines contain far more. Tannin is a plant compound that creates a certain sense of thickness in a wine, and gives it a bitter taste. Tannin heavy wines are difficult to grow and manage, but resulting full-bodied wines (including Bordeaux reds and other high profile wines) can be spectacular. ‘Nothing ventured, nothing gained’ as they say.
• A little further depth can be found on our Wine Tasting Chart page.
• ‘Bold & Powerful’ wines and ‘Deep & Complex’ are mostly Full bodied, with a few Medium/Full examples. ‘Smooth & Silky’ wines tend to be medium bodied and ‘Fruity’ run from Light to Medium/Full.
• The styles describe nuances of taste beyond tannin content and thickness. Generally speaking, ‘Bold & Powerful’ flavours are prominent tastes of oak, mint, eucalyptus and dark chocolate whereas similar bodied ‘Deep & Complex’ wines have a diverse, competing range of flavours.
• ‘Fruity’ red wines are self explanatory. ‘Smooth & Silky’ could be characterised as fruity, but they’re associated especially with red fruit notes like cherry, strawberry and raspberry.

It’s an old cliché, but wine appreciation can be an art. At any rate, exploring new wine is much like exploring music, film or fine art: body and style work in a similar way to genre or period, and you can explore the world of medium-bodied fruity red wines as you would explore Jazz or Pointillism.

When to Serve it:

There is a time and a place for every wine, and red is among the most hard (but rewarding) to match.

• When it comes to food, the most basic rule is that red should be served with red meat. But red works with any ‘heavy’ meal where its taste doesn’t overpower the food. Lighter bodied red wines can be more widely applicable.
• As for the question of aging wine, know that the more you spend, the better the wine is going to be after storage. Cheap red wine is usually best enjoyed within a year of purchase. Three year old vintages are sometimes considered the starting point, but this is a rather traditional view. Many new world wines have had better short-term results in non-traditional climates and with new techniques.

How to serve it:

You have to be in quite vindictive company for them to be bothered about the way in which you serve red wine, but the stuffy old traditions are there for good reason – tried and tested ways of enjoying the taste of wine to its fullest. Endeavour to serve up the best glasses your guests will ever enjoy!

• As wine connoisseurs are often keen to point out, red wine should be consumed in wide, round bowled glasses ideal for oxidation.
• This process also means that it is advantageous to decant your wine before serving, as well as for the purpose of straining the sediment.
• The ideal temperature for serving Red Wine is around 17 degrees Celsius, but ‘room temperature’ will usually do just fine.

Conclusion

Discovering for yourself a selection of red wines that are affordable, reliable and fantastic to taste is infinitely more rewarding than buying any old plonk from the supermarket every time you need to entertain. The only remaining question is: how much should I buy? Well, obviously there are mixed cases and other deals on buying bulk once you’ve found your preferred red. And from everyone here at Classic Wine Direct, we hope you enjoy your red wine adventure!

The Classic Wine Direct ‘How To’ Series

How to: Buy Red Wine
How to: Buy White Wine
How to: Buy Rosé Wine
How to: Buy Champagne and Sparkling Wine (Coming Soon)
… And more to follow!

This is a post from: Classic Wine Direct

How To: Buy Red Wine

For the British, April will see a three pronged attack on stressful hard work and painful exertion. It begins with Mothering Sunday on April 3^rd, the annual amnesty for overworked mothers that sees breakfasting convention thrown out and bowls of cereal brought into the bedroom. Scandal! We’re all too good at getting entrenched when it comes to gifting to our mothers, so check out these Spa Vouchers from health and beauty getaway The Sanctuary for some great ideas on doing something a little different this year. And what better way to round off a day of pampering and health treatment with the power of a good red wine?

Easter is back in April this year, with a long weekend awaiting us from the 22^nd to the 25^th. I’m sure for many of us this will mean visits to the family (and yes, that won’t necessarily be relaxing for everyone). Given good weather, we could well be seeing our first barbecues of the year, and a good white or rose wine would be the perfect, refreshing complement. Rose doesn’t get nearly enough love from the wine community, so we’re recommending the award winning Valle Reale Cerasuolo Montepulciano Rose 2008!

And finally, there is the upcoming wedding of the country’s foremost art-history graduates, and the April 29^th Bank Holiday that they bring. Whether you’re of the faction toasting the happy couple, or among those who’re just glad for another day off, the excuse for popping the cork on a bottle of champagne will be there, so don’t be afraid to use it!

This has been a guest post on behalf of The Sanctuary Spa. Be sure to check out The Sanctuary beauty products on their website!

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April Alleviation: Wine and Relaxation

But this little oddity from the Biferno region isn’t the only great red wine under £10. Among our best sellers, you’ll also find the Colome Amalaya Malbec Blend (2009), a responsibly grown Argentina wine from a vineyard powered by turbines and traditional spirit. Tastes of ripe cherry fruit and vanilla spice dominate.

And then there’s the superb Perez Cruz Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon (2008), a silver medal wine at the Chile awards (2008) with a fruity taste. Grown at the foot of the Andes, this is a wine that has seen a lot of enthusiasm from visiting reviewers to classic wine direct. Try it for yourself!

This is a post from: Classic Wine Direct

Biferno Rosso in the Guardian (and Other Great Reds Under £10!)

Wine critic James Halliday is one of the most important voices advancing the interests of Australian wine today. Putting aside the fact that they were simply better established, part of the reason that French, Italian and other ‘old world’ wines have such a strong profile is the fact that they have firmly defined (frankly archaic) classification systems. James Halliday’s Australian wine companion is basically a new world wine answer to the 1855 Bordeaux Classification, though thankfully, it’s a lot more conscious of the inherent ups and downs in the fortunes of the vineyards it seeks to classify.

Every year, James Halliday chooses a Winery of the Year. This year, he went with Larry Cherubino wines, a Western Australian winemaker renowned for a top quality, low yield philosophy. After all, aside from the rigid classifications, the great Chateau of French wine do grow their wines exclusively in single vineyards. Distracted by its pursuit of the perfect supermarket-friendly wine, if the Australian market is to be taken seriously it needs dedicated one-site growers just as much as it needs critics like Halliday.

Classic Wine Direct has a rich selection of Larry Cherubino Wines, and we’re more than willing to concur with James Halliday’s appreciation of this fine producer. Many of these wines have seen sustained popularity in the time we’ve stocked them, with customer reviews flooding in for bottles like the Larry Cherubino Ad Hoc Strawman Sauvignon 2008. You’ll notice also that several of these wines are previous award winners, with praise coming from Halliday himself for the Larry Cherubino The Yard Riesling 2008 which he awarded an impressive 96 points to. In fact, Halliday is keen to point out that, despite producing wine from eight different grapes on the banks of the Margaret River, each varietal style ‘has at least one wine at 94 points or above’.

This is a post from: Classic Wine Direct

James Halliday Selects Australian Winery Of The Year