Wine shopping

When shopping for wine, it does not have to be an intimidating experience. With all the different grape varietals, regions, and vintages (year the grapes were harvested), and different names for the same wines, no wonder wine shopping can be so hard.

I will do what I can to help make your shopping experience a little more enjoyable. Don't ever hesitate to ask me to come along if you're selecting wine for a dinner party, or just picking up a bottle to have around the house. I never turn down a wine shopping trip, I'm like a kid in a candy store! I might make you crazy though with how long I want to stay and look at everything.

Ok, so for those of us who enjoy a good bottle of French wine, this is the most confusing region to buy wine from, so let me make things a little easier by explaining some things. If you don't speak French (which I don't), it can be very difficult since all of their lables look VERY similar. Most wineries in France name their wines after the region that the grapes were grown in. For example, wines from the Bordeaux region of France are usually blends of up to five different grape varietals, most commonly though, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. Wine from the Burgundy region of France are most commonly Pinot Noir.

Something else that can be kind of confusing that people often ask me is "What is the difference between Shiraz and Syrah?" The only difference between Shiraz and Syrah is the region the grape is grown. In France, they call it Syrah, in Australia and most other regions they call it Shiraz.

Also keep in mind that the price tag on a wine is not always an accurate indicator of how good the wine is. I've found some great wine's in and around the $12 range per bottle like Castano's Monastrell, which I've blogged about at the bottom of this page.
If you pick up a bottle of wine, it sounds interesting, and the price is right, buy it. What's the worst that'll happen, you won't like it and you won't buy it again. When you order food in a restaurant, you're not gauranteed to like what you ordered, but you take a risk because it sounds good. Read the label on the back of the bottle, it will usually have a description of the wine and often they'll include food pairing suggestions.

HAPPY WINE SHOPPING!

Cheers,
Andrea

Pomegranate Wine

A friend from work, Aiden, asked me the other day if I knew of any wineries that produced Pomegranate wine, I told him I'd look into it because I hadn't heard of one.

The word pomegranate is derived from French pome garnete and means "seeded apple." There are over 800 seeds in one pomegranate, they're tasty but so hard to eat with all those layers between the seeds.

Interestingly enough, there are a few places around the world that produce pomegranate wine. There is a winery in Armenia that produces a semi-sweet pomegranate wine, which I would really like to taste.

The history behind the pomegranate is also quite interesting. The fruit has been used throughout history as symbols of fertility, hope, and royalty. In Greek Mythology, they believe that Aphrodite, the goddess of love, planted it on the isle of Cyprus. Due to the number of seeds in each pomegranate the fruit was connected with procreation and abundance.

One article I found was particularly interesting shows the super-health benefits of pomegranates. The article says that 100 ml of pomegranate juice has 3 times the antioxidants of 100 ml of red wine or 100 ml. of green tea. Researchers say that if you eat pomegranates daily for a long period of time, the fruit's antioxidants may help to prevent hardening of the arteries. If only they weren't so hard to eat! I better get some pomegranate wine.

The wine is said to be similar in taste to something between a blush and a dessert wine.
There is a winery in Israel that produces pomegranate wine as well called the Rimon winery. Rimon is hebrew for pomegranate.

Pundit Blogger

According to this test I found on Breanne's blog.

You Are a Pundit Blogger!

Your blog is smart, insightful, and always a quality read. Truly appreciated by many, surpassed by only a few

What Kind of Blogger Are You?

Wine and Cheese

Here is a list of some wines pair very well (in my opinion) to some tasty cheeses.

First some basic guidelines when picking wines to go with your cheese:

-White wines generally pair better with soft cheeses and stronger flavours.
-Red wines are usually best with hard cheeses and milder flavours.
-Fruity, off dry and dessert wines pair with a wider range of cheeses.
-The stronger, and stinkier the cheese, the sweeter the wine should be.

It's generally better to pick white wines if you're having a wine and cheese party because a lot of cheeses leave a fatty taste on your palate that end up making red wines taste bland. White wines have more acidity that compliment this fatty aftertaste.

Some common pairings:

Brie and Camembert - Champagne or Sparkling wine

Mild Cheddar and Provolone - Chardonnay

Swiss and most German Cheeses - Gewurztraminer

Goat Cheese (Chevre) - Champagne, Gewurztraminer or Sauvignon Blanc

Gouda - Riesling

Sharp Cheddar - Shiraz

Blue Cheese - Cabernet Sauvignon

Stilton - Port

Feta - Beaujolais

Havarti - Red Bordeaux

Hope this helps anyone who is planning on hosting a wine and cheese party. Remember to taste the lighter bodied wines and milder cheeses first. Then move on to slightly stronger cheeses, and medium bodied wines, until you get to the strong stinky cheeses paired with full bodied, and dessert wines.

Bon Apetit