Matching the wine to the ocassion
Filed under: blog, wine tips — Tags: champagne, occasion, wines
— Posted by : admin on May 21, 2008
It’s funny when you think about it, but there is a wine for every occasion and there is a wine to suit every taste. The problem, or maybe not for some, is drinking enough wine so that you find out what you like. Many people are lost when they need to decide what wines to bring to a special occasion. Maybe you are thinking about wines for Memorial Day (May 26th this year), then we have a wine recommendation for every occasion !
Wines for a formal dinner
For a formal dinner, I would recommend a full bodied wine. This can be something along the lines of a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Reserv&ecute; wines. You want something that you will drink slowly and has a complexity to the taste. I quite like Evil Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, yes that’s the name, this would be very suiting and a great conversation point if your boss is hosting the formal dinner.
Wines for a summer picnic
This time you would want something quite the opposite, go for a lighter wine. Something that you won’t feel too full while drinking. Again you are probably looking for a refreshing wine, and typically these will have lower alcoholic values. You could try a Belmuscato wine (Whitehall Lane 2005 Belmuscato is great) or you could go for a Sauvignon Blanc (2007 Richmond Plains Sauvignon Blanc Wine (Nelson, NZ)).
Wines for a Birthday
For birthdays it’s usually safe to go with a sparkling wine, or even a champagne. We are quite partial to Bollinger Special Cuvee or Moet & Chandon Champagne White Star. Some of these come in larger sizes which would be ideal for a bigger party. Ask your wine stockist for either a Magnum or a Jeroboam. If you are looking for a dry champagne then maybe consider Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brut.
Wines for a Barbecue / BBQ
As the summer is fast approaching I decided to add some recommendations for wines that go well when you are attending a BBQ. Remember that you will need something that is fruity and spicy, to go with grilled meats. The two best types of wines that go with the ‘char’ flavor would be a Zinfandel or one of the Rhone reds (2006 Domaine Paul Autard French - Rhone (Red Blend) “Côtes du Rhone” for about $15 is good). This goes great with those vegetables and meats straight off the grill. More reading about BBQ wines can be seen here.
Your special occasion
Do you have a particular wine that goes well with a special occasion ? Drop us a comment at the end of this and let us know
Filed under: blog, wine tips — Tags: champagne, occasion, wines — admin @ 9:44 am--> Comments OffOptimal Wine Temperatures
Filed under: blog — Tags: drinking wine, wine temperature
— Posted by : admin on February 17, 2008
If you are serving red or white wine, or any other flavor of wine, you need to be aware that they are server differently. Not only is the glass different, but the temperature at which it is poured and enjoyed is also different.
The temperature at which a wine is served has an immense impact on its taste. Serving wine cool will mask some imperfections—good for young or cheap wine—while a warmer wine temperature allows expression of the wine’s characteristics—best with an older or more expensive wine.
A bottle of wine will cool 2 °C (4 °F) for every ten minutes in the refrigerator, and will warm at about this same rate when removed from the refrigerator and left at room temperature—the temperature of the room will affect the speed with which the wine warms up. If you need to chill a bottle of wine in a hurry, 35 minutes in the freezer will do the trick.
|
Serving Temperatures |
||
| Wine Type |
°F |
°C |
| Sparkling Wine |
42-54 |
6-10 |
| Rosé Wine |
48-54 |
9-12 |
| White Wine |
48-58 |
9-14 |
| Sherry (Light) |
48-58 |
9-14 |
| Red Wine |
57-68 |
13-20 |
| Fortified Wine |
57-68 |
13-20 |
| Sherry (Dark) |
57-68 |
13-20 |
If you are looking for some books to learn about wine temperatures, we can recommend ::
by Jamie Oliver
Amazon Price: $24.75
Customer Review: I like this book tremendously. I'm somewhat of a collector of cookbooks and this is one of my favorites. It has full color pictures of all the recipes, which work with precision every time. (I've alrea...
by George Mateljan
Amazon Price: $26.37
Customer Review: This is a wonderful reference guide on every kind of food and the healthful ways to cook to preserve nutrients. A big plus is the access to the website and all the wonderful pictures. An easy recipe is ...
by Pamela Compart, Dana Laake
Amazon Price: $16.47
Customer Review: Got it after few GF/CF recipe books and its a good purchase. Excellent reference book for substitutes. Wished it had pictures of the recipes.
Normally a bottle of wine will cool 2°F per 10 minutes in the fridge. Also remember to let your sparkling wine chill for that little bit longer.
Filed under: blog — Tags: drinking wine, wine temperature — admin @ 6:02 pm--> Comments OffWelcome to the Wine Blog
Welcome to ColdWines, Wine Blog. Here in the coming weeks we will be bringing you some of of our recommendations. From Fine wines in France to the young wines of California, we will bring you everything you need to know about Wine.
by Lisa Lillien
Amazon Price: $10.77
Customer Review: I'm sure you have heard all of this before but this book is absolutely great. Whether you are on weight watchers or not this book is great for single eating or group fare. I have tried many of the recip...
by Benjamin Wallace
Amazon Price: $16.47
Customer Review: An excellent book which traces the history of the very rare wine market and explains how its excesses led to the Rodenstock-Koch-Broadbent fiasco. The author deftly explores both the business issues and ...
by Alan Richardson, Karen Tack
Amazon Price: $10.85
Customer Review: The projects in this book look professional but are made with grocery store items! Very doable. The photos are well done, descriptive, leave no questions as to how to do something. Sometimes we just si...
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We love wine, infact we probably drink too much of the stuff. We hope that through our blog, you too will find the love we have for the drink. Of course we would love to hear your comments, so don’t be afraid to tell us what you think ! If you have any questions about wine, you can send them to us via our contact form.
Filed under: blog — admin @ 8:48 am--> Comments Off