Free Wine Information: February 2009

California Wine Gifts

The California Wine gift basket, however, has its own character and has its large share of demand in the United States. People send California wines in baskets to please and to thank someone. However, should you choose to send wine baskets as a gift through a company that does this for you, it is only legal to do so in AK, CA, DC, HI, ID, IL, IA, LA, MO, NE, NV, NM, ND, OR, WA, WV and WY.

California Wine Gifts

Wood Wine Racks

A wine rack is a practical accessory essential for proper storage of wine, holding the cork in constant contact with the wine, so that the cork does not dry up or become mildewed. But far from the functional wood racks utilized by wine merchants and proprietors of grand wine cellars, wine racks in splendid wrought iron or wood can bestow panache to the decor of a kitchen, dining room or entertainment room. And whether your preferences run to the modern style, or to the warm Tuscan or Old World French style, you will find a wine rack that will impart some pizazz to your home.

Wood Wine Racks

Wines Of The World

The Best Wine Growing Regions in the World to Visit
By Ryan Fyfe - Ezinearticles

If you love wine then what better way to celebrate your enthusiasm then travelling to one of the world's most celebrated wine growing regions. Not only will you be able to taste some of the greatest wines in the world, but these vineyards tend to be in areas of stunning beauty.

Bordeaux in France is a must visit for wine enthusiasts. This is probably the most celebrated wine region in the world with almost 300,000 acres of vineyard. The vineyards of Saint-Emilion are claimed as the most beautiful and most visitors fall in love with this medieval town. The region also has some delicious fresh food that will make your wine tasting even more enjoyable.

Veneto in Italy is the place to go if you like dry wine. As an added bonus this wine region is near to Venice so it can make your perfect out of town excursion when staying in the city of water. The Provolo Winery tends to receive the best reviews by those visiting the area.

Tuscany is the most famous wine growing area in Italy and is celebrated around the world for producing some of the finest reds and whites. This is the home of the famous Chinanti wine. There are plenty of organised tours of the area and most people base themselves in the beautiful city of Florence.

Baden Germany offers its own unique wines with the most famous being their red wines which are described as having a strong taste. There are also some very acceptable white wines produced in the area as well. This is another area that offers beautiful scenery and there are plenty of restaurants where you can have a nice meal while you are sampling your wine.

Napa Valley in California is the best wine growing area in the United States. There are over two hundred vineyards in the area and the scenery is quite breathtaking as you gaze at the mountains that fill the landscape. There are many available tours and like most of wine growing areas you will find nice the best restaurants. If you want you can even visit the beach and have a swim.

La Rioja is probably the most important wine growing area in Spain. It is also in one of the most beautiful parts of the country. You will find red and white wines available and this area is close to other tourist hot spots like San Sebastian and Bilbao.

Douro in Portugal is the home of Port wine. You will also find plenty of other red and white wines available in the area.

As you can see there is plenty of opportunity for travel if you are a wine connoisseur. Even if you don't like wines these places are still worth visiting for the scenery. As already mentioned, there tends to be nice restaurants in all of these areas so even if you decide not to taste the local drink there will be still plenty of nice food to enjoy.

Wines Of The World

Wines Of France

Best Wines From France - The Rhone Valley Region
By Regine Marne - Ezinearticles

The Rhône Valley is one of the best areas for wine making in France because of the climate being warm and sunny a good part of the year giving a very rich aromatic wine for both reds and whites.

The vineyards of this beautiful region include around 15 specific wine making regions which are split between steep slopes of the northern side and the hot plains of the southern side. Rhône Valley is the home of the Syrah grape in France and it is the exclusive grape of the Northern region. The Southern region also uses Grenache, Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne, and Muscat.

Some of the most popular wines of the region are Chateau Grillet, Hermitage, Côtes du Rhône, Clairette de Die, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côtes du Rhône Villages and Côtes du Luberon.

Northern Rhône Valley produces a superior red wine which is also much more expensive than the reds from the southern region, however great whites can be found all over this region, especially Viognier which is a very high quality wine and can be pricey as well. Reds are very spicy and warm wines, whites tend to be very aromatic and very interesting wines.

Clairette de Die which is an appellation for sparkling white wines from the Southern Rhône Valley region should not to be confused with Champagne or Mousseux wines. Clairette the Die is just like a regular white wine with light sparkles. It is also a delicious one.

Châteauneuf du Pape, the most famous wine of Rhône Valley, is a rather thick, powerful richly colored red wine. The Appellation d'Origine Contrôllée of this area allows to blend up to 13 grape varieties for Châteauneuf du Pape wines. This region is located in the Southern area of the Rhône Valley between the cities of Orange and Avignon in a very beautiful area of Provence. Châteauneuf du Pape is a great wine for wine lovers.

This region offers some of the most interesting and diverse wines in the country, but you have to be aware that the quality can vary from very ordinary wines to excellent ones.

Wines Of France

Red Wine Pour

White Wines

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White Wines

WHITE WINE Favourites such as Chardonnay & Semillon as well as a huge selection of Sauvignon Blanc and other more unusual varieties

Red, Red Wine

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Red, Red Wine

From:
http://shakenwithatwist.wordpress.com/2009/04/13/red-red-wine

My family has always had a glass of red wine with dinner, and they would always claim that it was good for your heart. Turns out, it is.

In France, the incidence of coronary heart disease is 40 percent lower than it is in the United States. The French consume high-fat diets, smoke more, and exercise less than Americans. Researchers say that the moderate consumption of red wine is the key to a healthy heart.

The consumption of red wine is ranked higher in France than anywhere in the world, while the United States ranks as one of the lowest, and heart disease accounts for 41 percent of all American deaths.

Red wine seems to have a flushing effect on the heart’s artery walls, removing blood clots and excess platelets (which cause blood to clot). Therefore, one to three glasses per day with meals can help prevent coronary heart disease. In fact, it can cut the chances by 50 percent.

There have been studies indicating for almost two decades that moderate wine consumption can lessen the risk of heart disease, but most of them were preferable to red wine rather than white.

However, it isn’t just “French” red wine that have shown disease decreases, but red wine in general, which is linked to the specific action of the red wine for its protective activity on the cardiovascular system.

The French benefit from better eating habits of three meals per day and no snacks. The food is fresh and carefully prepared, not fast and frozen like most American food.

In fact, hospitals in Europe have given many older patients a small ration of red wine with meals for years. It has been linked to life in countless studies.

Therefore, why not enjoy a nice glass of red wine with dinner? It is proven to be worth it.

Wine Bottle Outline

Glass bottles come in varying shapes and sizes, and are used for a multitude of reasons. The beginning of the glass bottle is mapped as far back as 1500 B.C. and small glass bottles have been discovered in several Pharaohs tombs. Undoubtedly, glass is the most suitable material for containing and protecting beverages.

Wine Bottle Outline

Wine Bottle Opener

Sometimes, giving a great gift to someone can be challenging. This is especially true when you want the receiver to appreciate your gift. If you are at a loss about what to give a friend or a family member, then you might want to consider giving something useful. Wine bottle openers can be a great gift idea for both men and women. A bottle opener is something that you can give to someone for a birthday, for a holiday occasion or even just as a special token.

A wine bottle opener is indeed a great gift idea. You can easily buy one online so you would not need to go al the way to a store just to shop for a great gift that is sure to be appreciated. Some of them can even be packed inside a gift box so you do not need to wrap them up. Wine bottle openers can be great gifts to people who love drinking wine, to those who receive dinner guests or to someone who simply wants to be ready to pop a bottle of great-tasting wine.

Wine Bottle Opener

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