Champagne Or Sparkling Wine?

Many people don’t realize it, but there is a difference between sparkling wine and real champagne. Champagne is only champagne if it comes from a certain area of France and it actually says “Champagne” on the label.

Beside the fact that Champagne is only made in France, there are other strict guidelines to how Champagne is made.

Unlike most wines, champagne goes through a secondary fermentation process which is done in the bottle. That’s what causes natural carbon dioxide gas to get caught inside. This trapped co2 is what causes the bubbles.

Sparkling wines do not go through a secondary fermentation process. Sparkling wine is made from regular wine with co2 injections. This is done the same way as when they make coke or any other type of soda.

February 8, 2009 | Filed Under Food and Drink | Leave a Comment 

Wine Making Tradition And Technology

Change is afoot in the wine-making industry. Traditional wine-makers in Europe are horrified by the transformation by science and technology of the ancient art of making wine. Vintners in Spain, and particularly France, have shunned the new technology, and it has been to their detriment. Some people think that the changes that have come about because of science are a bad thing because they sometimes have increased yield at the expense of quality. Other people think that these traditionalists are snobby and worried that high-quality, complex wines will become cheaper. Good or bad, change is definitely here.

February 1, 2009 | Filed Under Food and Drink | Leave a Comment 

Food And Wine Magazine Is A Great Resource

If it’s fine wines and great food that you live for, then it’s all about Food and Wine Magazine. This magazine has dedicated itself to the individual who cannot eat his food without the taste of a good wine. Here you can find the best unknown restaurants across America. There are recipes galore and the latest in the newest grape. Food and Wine Magazine also has numerous auctions to benefit charities and group trips to benefit the select palate. If your hobby is wine or if your hobby is food, or if you genuinely enjoy both, than Food and Wine Magazine will become your periodical of choice.

Sponsor of Top Chef

January 23, 2009 | Filed Under Food and Drink, Other | Leave a Comment 

I Love German Wine And Food - A Mosel Riesling

If you are looking for fine German wine and food, consider the Mosel region of central western Germany on the border of Luxembourg. You may find a bargain, and I hope that you’ll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour in which we review a local white Riesling tasted with several meals and paired with imported cheeses.

The Mosel Valley has long been considered one of the most beautiful river valleys in the world. This region, previously known as Mosel-Saar-Ruwer for its three rivers, is proud of its Riesling wine. Some of the greatest Rieslings in Germany and in fact in the entire world come from the Mosel Valley. Experts can often identify Mosel Rieslings because of the slate in the local soil, which may impart a taste of flint. Mosel vineyard slopes are among the steepest in the wine-producing world, sometimes attaining 70 degrees. The soil is so precious that every spring local workers lug pails of soil up these slopes, reversing temporarily the effect of the rains that wash the soil down every winter.

January 20, 2009 | Filed Under Food and Drink | Leave a Comment 

Wine Food Pairing In An Austrian Hotel Room

Traveling in Austria is a wonderful opportunity to do Wine Food Pairing from your hotel room! Never let an opportunity like this pass you by.

Austria has some terrific wines that can be purchased very reasonably and depending on the area of the country you are visiting, you may have opportunities to visit the actual winery and speak with the wine farmers! A favorite red wine made in Austria is Blaufrankisch. This is a medium to full bodied dry wine that is known for the tannins and pairs beautifully with a lot of the heavy foods that the Austrians are so famous for.

January 15, 2009 | Filed Under Food and Drink | Leave a Comment