Basic Wine Knowledge Blog

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Nov 1, 2008, Know Types Of Wine Glasses

Find out which types of wine glasses you should own and why all wine glass shapes are important.

Oct 26, 2008, Do Calories in Red Wine Really Count?

Find out how many calories in red wine.

Oct 18, 2008, Explore Each French Wine Valley

Learn about each French wine valley here. What type of grape is each French wine region famous for?

Oct 13, 2008, Want To Buy French Wines Online?

Find out the best places to buy French wines. Purchase wine online with worldwide shipping.

Oct 12, 2008, Find California Wine Gifts Here

Looking for California wine gifts? Find many recommendations here including where to buy California wine.

Oct 5, 2008, France (Part 1)

After being home for two weeks, I’m finally getting around to writing about our French wine experience. It was wonderful and memorable.

After spending 5 days in Paris we headed into the countryside to see the Chateaus and experience some wine regions.

Our first stop was Reims and Epernay, home to Champagne. Reims (pronounced Rans) is a large industrial feeling town. Its heart is its central old town and the Cathedral Notre Dame de Reims. I’m sure it’s beautiful inside, but after experiencing Notre Dame, St Chapel, and Sacre-Coeur in Paris, we didn’t take the time to go in.

If you’re driving, be sure to know where the Champagne producers you want to visit are located before you enter town. Our map just indicated with the word cave that a Champagne house was there, but gave no details.

We finally found our way to Veuve Clicquot only to arrive too late for our tour. However, we did receive a map of the Champagne tourist route (Route Touristique du Champagne) and instructions on how to get there.

This drive turned out to be the highlight of the day. The Champagne route winds you through several small, picture perfect Champagne villages and vineyards with some beautiful spots for picnics throughout. It also takes you to Epernay, home to several other well-known Champagne houses.

Once in Epernay we headed to Moet & Chandon, the Champagne house we chose for our second tour. We highly recommend a visit to Moet & Chandon. Our guide, Ceu, was excellent. At the conclusion of the tour we sampled some of their fine Champagne. It was some of the best we’ve ever tasted. Be sure to make your reservation several days or weeks in advance.

Oct 5, 2008, France (Part 2)

The next day we drove to Beaune, the picturesque and perfectly situated French town from which to explore Bourgogne (Burgundy). Be sure to visit the Hospices de Beaune and the Wine Museum (Musee de Vin) when you are there.

The heart of the Bourgogne wine region is the Cote d’Or (Golden Slope) and it is divided into the Cote de Nuits to the north and the Cote de Beaune to the south. In Bourgogne Pinot Noir is king and Chardonnay is queen.

First we visited Chateau Pommard. We choose it because the $15 tour was complimentary with our hotel stay. The tour was very informative, but not nearly as interesting as getting to taste and compare their 2003, 2004 and 2005 Burgundy vintages. 2005 was clearly the best, confirming what we’ve been hearing for months about this superior growing year.

Several well-known Burgundy producers have cellars in the town of Beaune you can visit. We recommend going to the Beaune tourist office and getting a map detailing the wine region and heading out of town, especially if you only have a day or two.

We purchased a map that showed us who were growers (small, family run wineries), who were co-operatives (grower groups who usually have tasting cellars – caveau de degustation), and who were sales cellars (offering a large selection of wines from many Burgundy appellations).

We spent the next few days exploring the small towns of the region, picnicking in the vineyards, and stopping in to taste where we felt it appropriate. Tasting wines in Bourgogne is very different than tasting wines in the United States.

In France, sales cellars and co-ops will usually charge a fee to taste and it is not necessarily assumed you will buy. However, the majority of wine is grown by small family units who do not charge for tasting and don’t have sophisticated tasting rooms for you to enter.

We feel this is the true Bourgogne. At one small grower in Volnay we entered what seemed like the kitchen of the home and were poured samples from bottles not yet labeled. These growers expect that when you come to taste, your intent is to buy if the wine meets or exceeds your expectation.

Our last stop was in Beaujolais at the southern end of the Burgundy region where the Gamay grape is king. Our timing couldn’t have been better - we were visiting during the harvest.

We visited the caves of Morgon and Julienas. Both were excellent stops. The wall mural of Bachus, the god of wine, at Julienas in what was formerly a church is worth seeing.

We wish we had more time in this beautiful French countryside. Just when we began to feel comfortable with our French phrases and with the wine etiquette of the region, it was time to leave. Merci and au revoir.

Please see our wine picture page for some memorable images.

Sep 6, 2008, Bon Voyage

We've been busy preparing for our trip to France so haven't posted in some time. We leave tomorrow.

If you'd like to read about our experiences in Champagne and Burgundy, please subscribe to our feed. We'll be posting details and pictures by the end of the month.

Thanks again for visiting!

Aug 24, 2008, An Excellent Find From Spain

We are learning more about Spanish wines each month. Tonight we discovered a truly excellent wine from Spain at an amazing price.

For under $10, the 2005 Hecula Monastrell is an outstanding value. It has received a 90 point rating from Wine Spectator and lives up to that ranking.

The Monastrell has a delicious complexity with hints of berry and spice and is very smooth. We suggest decanting the bottle right away to bring out it's best qualities.

If the 2005 Hecula Monastrell were in a blind tasting, it would easily be assumed to be in the $20 - $30 per bottle range.

If you're in the United States, Costco currently carries this bottle. Our recommendation is to stock up now.

It is rare to find a wine of this caliber at this low price.

P.S. In researching this wine, we read that the Monastrell grape is the Spanish equivalent to France's Mourvedre grape. Very interesting.

Aug 24, 2008, What Makes A Good Wine Good

A thought provoking question is....what makes a good wine good, or a great wine great.

We believe it's more than just the perception of the consumer, although this is certainly important.

We believe a good wine shows depth and character.

We believe a great wine shows not only depth and character, but has a complexity that is almost difficult to describe.

A great wine also shows perfect balance between fruit, tannin, and alcohol.

A great wine has a smooth, long finish that is pleasing to the palate without over emphasizing any one feature of the wine.

A great wine doesn't rely on price or region.

When you taste a great wine, you'll know it instantly.

Aug 23, 2008, Compare California Wine Gift Baskets Here

Shopping for California wine gift baskets has never been easier. We have researched a dozen wine gift basket companies for you. Find out what the wine country baskets contain and how much they cost.

Aug 22, 2008, Health Benefits Of Wine Discussed

There are health benefits of wine. See what the expert say. Are there more red wine health benefits than white?

Aug 22, 2008, Canadian Ice Wine

Canadian ice wine is the best Canadian dessert wine. Find out more about it here.

Aug 22, 2008, Making A Mimosa Champagne Drink

A mimosa champagne drink is the perfect special occasion beverage, the best of the champagne drinks. Find a champagne punch recipe here too.

Aug 9, 2008, Learn About Temecula California Wineries

Temecula California wineries are gaining popularity in the state. Here's our recommendation of some Temecula wineries.

Aug 9, 2008, Understand Italian Wine Labels

Discover how to read and understand Italian wine labels. See pictures of wine labels.

Aug 3, 2008, Wine Recommendation From Oregon

Today we recommend an exceptional Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley in Oregon, the 2006 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley by Beaux Freres.

We rate this Pinot as one of the best we've tasted. It's got a beautiful full cherry nose with rich, smooth flavor and little or no hint of tannins. The depth and balance are remarkable.

The producers are speculating it may be the finest cuvee of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir they have made.

At $50, it may be an extravagance for some, but we believe worth every cent for a special occasion. This wine should keep beautifully for 10 years or more.

As an aside, Beaux Freres is co-owned by Robert Parker, author of The Wine Advocate. It may be no coincidence this wine is excellent.

Aug 1, 2008, Wine Recommendation From Argentina

We just tasted a remarkable, very reasonably priced Cabernet from Argentina. It was recommended to us by a friend who knows I'm not a big Cabernet fan when the tannins overpower.

So if you love big, tanic, heavy Cabernets, you probably won't like this wine.

But if you enjoy Syrah/Shiraz and Pinot Noir, you'll be delighted at how soft, yet full flavored this Argentinian Cabernet is. It has distinct aromas of vanilla and berry.

The wine is a 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Crios de Susana Balbo and we paid just $12.99. We highly recommend it.

Jul 24, 2008, Great German Wine Doesn't Have To Be White

Our neighbor and friend is originally from Germany and frequently shares some of his well-researched German wine with us.

We've always associated Germany with white wines such as their Gewurtstraminer and Riesling, so we were pleasantly surprised to taste the 2003 Dornfelder by Knipser we tasted with him.

Amazingly, the Dornfelder from the Phalz region beat out all but one of the California reds we also tasted that evening.

It had a delicious berry flavor with a velvety texture and a balanced, smooth finish. Excellent.

We have since learned that Dornfelder is the second most grown red wine grape variety in Germany. It grows very well in conditions normally associated as being ideal for white wine.

We'll never think of German wines the same way again.

Jul 7, 2008, Robert Mondavi 1913-2008

I met Robert Mondavi in 1976. I was 17.

I was working as a hostess at a restaurant in San Mateo, a city 20 miles south of San Francisco.

Mr Mondavi invited the restaurant management, servers, and guests to his up and coming winery in Napa for a tour and private tasting.

I'll never forget the experience. Yes, it was partly because I was young. But it was more than that. This was before wine tasting and winery visiting were in vogue.

Mr Mondavi and his son took the time to educate us about wine and how it paired with different foods. You could tell they were passionate about wine and loved their professions.

As I read about Robert Mondavi's passing over these past weeks, I realized again why we were there. He was a true ambassador for the beverage and he wanted more than anything to transfer his love and knowledge of wine to the public.

I'm sure the Mondavi family hosted dozens of restaurants and special guests over the years, probably hundreds. But while we were there, we felt special. And we left with a new appreciation for the grapes and their creations he so loved.

Thank you Mr Mondavi.

Jun 28, 2008, A Winner!

Tonight we opened a bottle of 2005 Pinot Noir from Matrix and enjoyed it as much, if not more, than we did when we tasted it on our trip earlier this month.

Matrix is a new (opened in December, 2007) winery in Healdsburg (Russian River Valley) owned by the Wilson Family. The Wilsons also own Mazzocco and Antoine Favero is winemaker for both. Well, so far Antoine is doing a fabulous job.

This was an excellent Pinot with great structure, perfect balance and a delightful smooth, rich fruit flavor.

If you're traveling to the Russian River Valley, you must include stops at both Mazzocco and Matrix. Mention you're visiting the other at your first stop and you're sure to receive complimentary tasting at the second.

Jun 20, 2008, News on Belvedere in Healdsburg

We learned on our trip to Sonoma earlier this month that the well-known and respected Belvedere Winery was closed.

Word has it the winery will reopen soon recreated as C. Donatiello winery.

Jun 20, 2008, Honig Wine Recommendation

From time to time, we'll recommend wines we've tried and really enjoyed.

I don't know if you can still get Honig Cabernet from 2002, but it's a wine worth watching in future vintages.

To my palate, this Cabernet was about as perfect as they get. It was well balanced with the rich, ripe fruits perfectly complimenting the tannins and a hint of chocolate in the long lasting, smooth finish.

Jun 3, 2008, Paso Robles Wine Tasting

In April of 2008 we visited the Paso Robles area.

First of all, if you enjoy taking trips in your camper or motor home, you must stay at the Wine Country RV Resort.

This is not really camping at all. The bathrooms are huge, clean, and have all the conveniences. The grounds are well manicured and the surroundings are beautiful. Plus, we had the added convenience of not having to eat out every meal if we didn't want to.

Next, the wineries were a treat. We were served wine tastes by many of the local winemakers themselves. The wine and tasting prices can be reasonable.

Our favorite wineries (although we hardly visited them all) were Red Soles and Tobin James and we'd highly recommend them. Each is quite different, yet both very inviting with delicious wines.

Jun 3, 2008, Healdsburg Wine Tasting

This past weekend (June 1, 2008) we visited Healdsburg in the Dry Creek region of Northern Sonoma County.

Healdsburg is a delight. The town square is beautiful and woodsy with several very old and very large redwoods shading it.

You can easily spend your morning exploring the dozens of small shops and restaurants on all sides.

One of the most interesting I found was the Hand Fan Museum. As you can imagine, it's very small, but worth a stop in if you enjoy the artistry and intricate handiwork that goes into this ancient craft.

When you're ready for wine tasting, you don't even have to leave the town if you'd rather not drive. Ringing the square are dozens of tasting rooms all within a square mile or so of each other.

The only one we tried before heading out was Toad Hollow and it was a good choice. Not only are the wines very good, but the prices are reasonable and they gave us a FREE padded wine shipping box to transport our wines back on the plane with us.

Of all the wineries we visited on this trip, our favorites were Mazzocco and Mill Creek, both for different reasons.

Mill Creek was quaint, delicious and reasonable priced.

Mazzocco Winery had the most delicious Zinfandel we tasted during our trip, many gold medal winners.

We highly recommend both their wines and a visit to their wineries if you're in the Northern Sonoma region.