How to Taste Wine Like a Pro

Wine tasting is an interesting conversation subject at parties. While some people are really interested in it and want to learn how to taste wine the proper way, others will simply say 'but I know how to taste wine, I don't need a lesson in it'. In a way it's true, everybody has the knowledge on proper wine tasting, however not everyone actually knows how to apply that knowledge in real life.
Wine tasting is not like drinking water or your favorite juice. There is an art to savoring it in a way that will release its full bouquet in your mouth, making all your taste buds get a unique experience from it. Gulping it down is definitely not the way to go, however I've seen some people do just that during a party. Besides the fact that they wake up the next day with a major headache (aka hangover), they don't get to really enjoy wine the way it's supposed to be enjoyed.
There are really two major components to wine tasting the proper way: drinking it slowly and paying attention to what you are doing, be in then 'here and now' to put it in a Zen way. However before you even get the drink in touch with your tongue, there is another of your senses come into play: your sense of smell. As weird it might sound to some people, smelling it is a major part of actually properly enjoying it.
Another aspect of it is simply looking at the dark liquid in the glass and watching its appearance, the way the light reflects back from the glass, the way the dark red color of the liquid swirls again the crystal clear walls of your glass. Experiencing it this way is a real art.
When you are about to actually taste it, this is how you really go about it: Take a sip and hold it in your mouth without drinking it yet. Draw in a bit of air and let it mix with the wine. Then swish the liquid in your mouth and around it as if you wanted to actually chew it. Finally swallow your drink. You don't need to spend more than a couple of seconds per sip, however this process should really open up your taste buds and give you the many flavors each type has, including a fruity taste, or flowery or earthy or a taste of vanilla. Only a real wine connoisseur can discern all the many aromas of a good year and while it takes some practice, you can get there too and learn how to taste wine the proper way like a pro.
Part of enjoying wine is also letting it breath and get infused by oxygen and this is done through the process of decanting.

by Vaso Johnson

Spiegelau Wine Glasses

Founded in 1521, Spiegelau is one of the oldest and most famous European manufacturers of fine crystal. Today, the Spiegelau brand has become synonomous with quality stemware, especially among the world's leading sommeliers and wine connoisseurs.Spiegelau Vino Grande Bordeaux, Set of 2

Tips For Understanding Wine .

The world of wine can be a complicated one. There are so many grapes, regions, and vintners. Keeping it all straight can seem daunting. Perhaps that's why so many of us settle for drinking wine without really appreciating it.
I have been drinking wine for many years, but have just recently put myself to the task of really understanding it. Through my studies I have come across some simple and illuminating information that has made the world of wine much easier to understand.
Here are my five favorite quick tips for understanding wine:
1. New world wines are named for the grape. Old world wines are named for the region.
This tip was a real eye-opener. The U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Argentina, and Chile put the name of the grape on the label. Europe names it's wines after the region. What California calls Chardonnay, France calls white Burgundy. What's called Syrah in the U.S. is called Rhone in France. And for some reason Australia calls it Shiraz, but it's all the same grape. Knowing the grapes of the primary regions of Europe makes it much easier to discern information from wine labels.
2. Wines should be matched by weight with foods.
For a quick way to pair food and wine, keep light wines with light food, and heavy wines with heavy food. Common wines listed by body from light to heavy are: Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Beaujolais, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon. Common foods from light to heavy are: White Fish, Steak Fish, Chicken, Pork, Beef.
3. Put names to flavors
It's very easy to sip a wine and decide whether or not you like it. But opinion doesn't help us understand and remember the wine. Naming what we taste does. The more flavors you can identify in a wine, the better able you are to remember and appreciate it. Keep an arsenal of descriptive words in your lexicon to mentally flip through as you take your first sip. Maybe you taste fruit, but what kind of fruit? Is it strawberry, apple, peach, lime, grapefruit? What about earthy flavors like, dirt, coffee, licorice, smoke? Or maybe you taste spice. Is it vanilla, cinnamon, anise, clove? You can find flavor charts and flavor wheels on line and in many wine books. They're great to have in front of you as you analyze what you're tasting.
4. The color of wine tells you something about the age of the wine.
Like the rings of a tree, the color of wine gives away it's age. A very young red will be a purple-blue red. As it ages it becomes more of an orange red. A well aged wine will start to turn a brown red. Young whites are very light, some even clear. A middle aged white becomes yellowish. An older white turns golden.
5. The shape of the bottle tells you what region the wine is from.
A long-necked bottle is used for the German and Alsatian wines, (Riesling, Gewurztraminer.) A soft-shouldered bottle is use for Burgundy and Rhone wines (Pinot Noir, Syrah, Grenache, Chardonnay, Viognier.) A firm shouldered bottle is used for Bordeaux wines (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc.)
The world of wine is complex. That's what makes it interesting and intimidating. But knowing these few bits of information can really help in shopping for, tasting and appreciating wine. Wine Expert

Classification of Wine and Wine Glasses

Wine has been the most popular alcoholic drink for many centuries. Wine is basically classified into white and red wine based on its color. However, wine enthusiast would like to classify them based on the place of origin and the vinification method used. They are also classified based on style.
Classification of them based on style is depends on factors like color, taste and the alcoholic strength. These factors are influenced by the region where the grapes are grown, the soil and climate conditions and also to the vinification method employed. The different classification based on style includes:
• Sparkling
• Fortified
• Fruit
• Table
• Dessert
• Cooking
Sparkling wines are those which have effervescence in them. This is mainly due to carbon-dioxide present in them. Carbon-dioxide can be produced naturally during the fermentation of the grape juice or can be injected artificially at a later stage. These wines are usually fermented twice in order to seal the carbon-dioxide in them.
Fortified wines are usually prepared by stopping the fermentation of the grape juice. This is achieved by adding spirit into half fermented grape juice. They are generally sweet and usually have a higher alcoholic content than the regular wines. Fruit wines are those which are produced from other fruits than grapes. In Europe the term wine is specifically used for wines produced from grapes. In US and UK the term fruit wine is usually used to indicate the wine produced from ingredient other than grapes. There are many flavors of fruit wine available depending on the main fruit used to prepare them.
In order to truly appreciate the aroma and flavors of different types of wine, one should always use different types of wine glassware. For example a sparkling glass is specifically designed such that it's tall narrower bowl usually holds the carbon-dioxide for a long time allowing one to truly appreciate and enjoy the effervescence along with the wine. Similarly a red wine glass is designed in a such a way that its rounder bowl and a large opening allows the person to dip their nose into the glass allowing them to truly appreciate the various aromas of the red wine. There are many brands of glasses available in the market but none are more famous than the mikasa wine glasses

Angella Brown is an expert author on various interesting topics. In this article she discusses about the various Types of wine. In order to truly enjoy wine it is important to know little bit more about wines. To know more about wines and wine glass ware feel free to visit mikasa wine glasses.

Choosing Wine Glasses For Your Customers

 HOW TO CHOOSE A WINE GLASSES

When you are a company that is looking to make a name for itself, you have to find a way to advertise to your customers. Think of the companies out there that have created brand name for themselves. They are companies that have made a brand for themselves through promotional products including decorations that many people collect.
Even though you have a small business, you can do the same and you can do it through the promotional item route. With promotional items, you can not only advertise your company, but also make your customers loyal. Customers want to feel appreciated and if they feel appreciated for their business, they will shop more with you. You can do this with promotional wine glasses, which are beautiful glass stemware meant specifically for drinking wine. However, you have to ensure that you do the right thing when you give promotional glasses as gifts.
First, you want to make sure that you put your company name and logo on the wine glasses, but they cannot be too prominent. If your company name and logo is too prominent, then it may result in the customer not using them because they may seem cheap. Instead, you can put your company name and logo on the glass, but only if it is down near the bottom, on the glass base, or transparent.
Second, you should find out if your customers want red wine glasses or white wine. These glasses differ greatly and if your customers only drink red wine, they may not want to drink from white wine glasses as the experience will be different.
Third, a really good idea with promotional glasses is to have your customer's name put on the wine glass. This will ensure that the customer will use the wine glass more often than not because it is personalized. The customer will also appreciate that you took the time and money to personalize the wine glasses and that earns their loyalty. Now when the customer has company over, they can use those promotional wine glasses with their guests and everyone will see these amazing wine glasses that feature your company name and logo.
Each time someone sees your company name and logo, it creates brand awareness and that is what ensures your company will be profitable for years to come, keeping you in business.

DiscountMugs.com is a large distribution company based in Miami, Florida. They are web-based and factory-direct which allows them to keep prices lower than the rest of the competition. They also have a huge selection of glassware from wine glasses and champagne flute to martini glasses and drinking glasses.
by : Amin Ramjee.