Sooner or later, you’re going to hear someone mention tannins when drinking wine. What are tannins, and why do they matter? And how can I tell what a tannin is? Tannins are naturally-occurring compounds that exist inside grape skins, seeds, and stems. Anytime you experience a drying, bitter, or astringent sensation in your mouth when drinking wine, that is the effect of tannins. The drier your mouth feels, the higher the tannins in the wine

Even if you’re not a novice to wines, it can be daunting to try and determine the best wine(s) to pair with your meal. The good news is that it’s not as complicated as it first seems. With a few basic guidelines, we can help you make successful choices.  First – remember to keep things simple. Choose a wine that you already like; that way, if your pairing isn’t the great success you’d hoped for,

Decanting can improve the taste of your wine, but if done improperly, can also ruin it. We’ll teach you what you need to know about choosing the proper decanting method for a specific wine. Some experts say that every wine, regardless of vintage, grape variety, or age needs to be decanted for several hours. This is done to remove sediments from the wine, which affects the wine’s texture, and also to wake up or soften

1) Doctors have determined that it’s healthy to have a serving of fruit every day. 2) Because when you sniff, swirl, and sip a glass of soda, you get weird looks. 3) You’re just a few corks short of finishing that wine trivet. 4) Because drinking aged wine will help you age well too. 5) Being able to get five glasses out of one bottle sounds like a really good deal. 6) It’s important to

Depending on the type of wine and method of storage, most wines will last for three to five days after opening. Once a wine goes bad, it won’t taste good, though it also won’t be harmful. There are two causes for wine going bad after opening. One is the consumption of the alcohol by acetic acid bacteria, causing the wine to develop a sharp, vinegar-like smell. The other is oxidation of the alcohol, causing a

While most wines are consumed within a short period after purchasing, fine wines are often set aside for long-term storage. A wine’s flavor can improve with age, but if handled or stored improperly, it can turn bad. Even if you don’t plan on holding it for long, it’s always a good idea to properly store any wine.  There are several factors that can affect a wine’s condition, such as temperature, humidity, light, and storage position. 

The process of making red wine has not changed much in the past few thousand years. Dark grapes are harvested, crushed, fermented, stirred, and separated from the skins. The consistency and quality of today’s red wines are much better than in the past, due mostly to better equipment and storage, but the basic ingredients remain the same – grapes, yeast, and sometimes sulfur dioxide is added as a preservative. The main difference in the production

Tasting the differences in similar varieties of wine can be confusing enough – but what exactly are the differences between Old World and New World wines? We’re going to try and simplify this for you to help clear things up.  The oldest wine-producing countries in the world are France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Germany. Old World wines include those made there. New World wines essentially come from anywhere else, including the United States, Argentina, South

Jews may have one of the oldest recorded relationships with wine. Wine features very prominently throughout the Bible, going as far back as Noah, the first recorded vine grower. When the Ark came to rest on Mount Ararat, Noah planted his vineyard there. When the spies returned to Moses after scouting out the Promised Land, they carried back with them a large bunch of grapes on a pole between two people. Until today, this image

It is essential to understand the characteristics of different grapes in order to appreciate wine. Each different variety, even when grown and produced in different areas, always displays certain qualities. Knowing what flavors are expected, and what each variety can achieve at its best, is key to developing an appreciation of fine wine. What follows is a brief description of several common and not-so-common grape varieties, in alphabetical order. BARBERA A red wine usually sourced