Cookery

The Jacobs Creek Brand of wines have taken the world by storm. And so they should. They are excellent Australian wines which are consistently good. They have clearly won the battle for everyday wines at their particular price range. But they are a made from classical French grape varieties, Chardonnay, Riesling, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. As such they represent the successes of Australian winemaking in the 1980s and 1990s. What will be the wines of the new century? As the wine boom of the 1990s in Australia unfolded, a quiet revolution was taking place....

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During the holiday season, most of us are in a frantic search for presents for loved ones and friends. Next time, instead of the usual hassle of selecting a gift which will suit him or her, try sending a wine gift basket instead. Wine gift basketsare a perfect present for both men and women and suit every occasion e. g. Birthdays, Weddings etc. The information below will help you select an appropriate wine gift for that special occasion. Who will be receiving the wine gift basket? Men will prefer a bottle of wine, which they can open and drink immediately or store in their own wine cabinet (The smile when he or she unwraps the present to discover a 1990 Bordeaux is priceless) whereas women are usually more delighted with a wine accessory e....

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Burgundy red wines are produced in an area of France stretching from Dijon south to Beaujolais. The northern section of Burgundy is called the Cote d'Or (hills of gold) and generally, the farther north the Burgundy vineyard, the richer flavored the wine. Here the Pinot Noir grape produces deliciously seductive wines combining grace and power with supple velvet textures and complex flavors. Many of the finest Burgundy vineyards are located halfway up the hillsides, midway between overly fertile valley soils and the too steep and rocky upper slopes....

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Decanting is a strange word to many people. Some do not even know what it means exactly. Taking the sophistication out of it, decanting literally means pouring the wine from the bottle to a special glass container. This is done in order to expose the wine to oxygen and enrich it. What is the meaning of this process? Do all wines benefit from decanting or not? The wine experts are not in agreement. Some say wine should be decanted in order to allow it to "breathe" and develop fully before consumption....

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Wine is a social drink which should be enjoyed in the company of friends and .. food. The right combination between food and wine is a source of ultimate bliss for every connoisseur. Both wine and food can benefit from the right pairing. The right wine can accentuate unexpected gastronomical aspects of food and vice versa, wine can shine in a new light when accompanied by the right dish. In order to savor the splendor of such combinations, one does not need to frequent expensive restaurants and buy overpriced wines....

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Here is a quick summary of the different French wine regions you can visit with some idea of what you'll be tasting and the airports where you can conveniently pick up a rental car. Champagne Region What to taste: bubbly, of course! From the twin champagne-making centres of Reims and Empernay Which Airport to pick up your Champagne rental car? Paris Charles de Gaulle car hire or Paris Orly Airport car hire. Alsace Region What to taste: sweet and scented white wines Where to get your Alsace car rental?...

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Follow a Local Wine Trail to Discover the Secrets of Fine Wine Suppose you want to kick back after a long day at work. You light a candle and put on some quiet music but realize the evening isn't complete, so you run out to your local liquor store, looking for the perfect bottle of wine to cap the evening. What will you buy? When you see all the choices, you will probably look for a brand you tried before or a name you recognize-perhaps White Zinfandel by Sutter Home, the California winery. What you might not realize is the wines that are stocked in local liquor stores tend not to be local, but are from the largest wineries that can afford a wide distribution....

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The basics of tasting wine are relatively simple to learn. Once the fundamentals are mastered, the nuances and details can be enhanced over a lifetime. Like any other skill, tasting wine requires practice, and consistency is probably the most important factor. Another important strategy for a beginning wine taster is to taste several wines side-by-side that share at least one common variable. This could be the varietal, style, AVA of origin, or any combination of the three. Tasting blind will minimize any prior opinions or stereotypes....

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What in the world is up! Was there a full moon or something? As I went through this past week I was struck by what seemed to be the theme for the week. I came to the conclusion that there are some career whiners out there. I mean people whine about any and everything. Let me just float this out there... Whining is not going to fix a problem! Now God only knows I surely have my challenges, and do in fact do my fair share of moaning and complaining (like now) but the difference is for me it's a temporary state....

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Have you had the pleasure of tasting Starbucks new less fattening frappachino? It is a blended coffee drink with quite a reputation for helping you keep the weight off and the extra pounds that Starbucks groupies are complaining about who drink the regular version. Have you tried this new well publicized drink to help you from becoming so fat? The average frappachino drinker appears to be about 20 to 30 pounds over weight by my observations of those in the long lines. Shouldn't you try the newer less fattening drink with the same kick of caffeine but less sugar and chemicals?...

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If you have been spoiled by the quality coffee served at coffee houses and cafes, you are probably craving the taste of Arabica coffee beans. You can brew fine coffee at home as well; the trick is to use only Arabica coffee beans. Organic coffee beans, grown without the use of artificial fertilizers, allows plantation owners to grow their farms in a sustainable way, without the use of chemicals, thus producing a mild, non acidic coffee bean. You should expect to pay a little more for organic coffee beans, but you can be confident in knowing that you are securing the future of the coffee industry worldwide....

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