Archive for the ‘Wine’ Category

How to Bid on Wine at Auction

Sunday, August 9th, 2009

Following are a few rules to follow if you are biding on a wine auction:

1) Check the Source - The older the wine the more important it is to find the source and how its been kept.

2) Get Answers - Deal with a wine specialist and find out all you need to know before you make the purchase.

3) Buy Original - It is hard to fake a Chateau’s imprint. Buy wines in its original wooden case by looking for “OWC” in an auction catalog.

4) Do a Taste Test - When buying a case, ask to sample a bottle and make sure that its color, aroma, taste and physical condition fulfills the expectations of the wine. Examine the wine like you would a piece of art. If you discover the wine is spoiled after making the purchase, you could work a fair settlement with many reputable auctioneers.

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Wine: Selecting a Spanish Wine for Your Paella

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

Although many paellas are based on seafood, red wines are generally more appropriate because of the complex and assertive flavors found in Paella. For delicate flavored paellas, however, such as scallop and mushroom paella, I highly recommend a dry Albariño white wine from the northwest region of Galicia.

For relatively light seafood paellas try the outstanding white wines from Rueda in Castile, like Marques de Riscal, or a Catalan white such as Juve y Camps Penedes Ermita D’Espiells. For more strongly flavored seafood paellas (black squid for example) a light bodied rioja wine; Vina Cumbrero and Remelluri are great choices. Poultry, rabbit, pork, and lamb paellas also stand up well to red Riojas.

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Mixed Drinks: How to Prepare a Sangria

Sunday, July 5th, 2009

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This popular drink is often served in large pitchers, with ice and citrus fruit slices floating on top.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

3 cups of dry red wine

Juice of 2 limes

1/2 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice

1/2 cup of brandy

1/4 cup of sugar

1 lime, sliced, to decorate

Ice, to serve

Combine the wine, lime juice, orange juice and brandy in a large glass pitcher. Stir the sugar until it has dissolved completely.  Serve in tall glasses with ice. Decorate each glass with a slice of lime.

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How to Start a Wine Collection (Wine Selection and Purchase)

Friday, July 3rd, 2009

wine-cellar

Building your wine collection is as personal as selecting your wardrobe. You might require a certain number of suits and ties to get you through a typical week, and more casual clothes for a weekend retreat. At the same time, your closet probably reflects your personal sense of style, whether your passion is for expensive Italian ties or cowboy boots.

Your wine collection should be functional for your daily life and at the same time make a statement about you. So before you buy another bottle, it’s worth a moment to contemplate your wine collection’s reason of being. Are you collecting as an investment, or are you planning to enjoy all your purchases? Do you want ready to drink wines, or are you willing to save by aging the wines yourself? Are you collecting for the pleasure of parties and dinners, or do you want to build a tasting cellar as an educational and aesthetic tool? All these are important questions to start your wine cellar.

In addition, no matter what your collector’s philosophy, it’s a good idea to budget your purchases. Think of your purchases in terms of “everyday wines” costing under $20; “occasional wines” priced from $20 to $50, and “special wines” that may cost $50 or more.

In the near future, I will elaborate more and provide you with tips on how to create your own wine collection.

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