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 Wine
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The Challenge Of Buying Man Gifts
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The yearly nightmare is fast looming... what to buy husband / dad/ bother for Christmas? Online Wine Retailer Naked Wines appears to hold the answer: an Electronic Gift Voucher, redeemable against any of the wines on their site, delivered directly to the recipient via email as soon as it's ordered.
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A Guide To Port
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An overview of Port wine, how it is made and where it comes from. Port is an excellent after dinner drink which fills you with Christmas spirit.
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Christmas Wine Gifts
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Are you looking for a great Christmas present for someone? There are some great wine gifts on the market with something to suit everyone’s taste. this article gives you an overview of what is available.
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A Guide To Sherry
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Sherry like Port and whisky is anther drink that is associated with Christmas and if I am to be honest also with my Gran. Sherry has however done away with the image of being a drink only for the old with the appreciation of dry sherries which are now almost fashionable. Unlike a cream sherry they are the original Spanish thing and are a great wine to have before starting a meal.
Sherry comes from the south of Spain and is named after Jerez, a town in the region. The name sherry is actually an anglicised version of the towns name. Jerez has been producing this type of wine since 1100 BC.
Sherry is a fortified wine. This means that extra alcohol is added to the liquid at some stage of its manufacture. The fortification of sherry takes place after fermentation. In fact all sherry is dry naturally and sweetness is added to the wine later on in the process. It is in fact alleged that Columbus sailed to the new world with a good stash of sherry on board as it is a wine that travels well – maybe something to think on when you do your next long distance voyage!
There are several main types of this wine: fino; Manzanilla; Amontillado; Oloroso and Pala Cortado. These are all dry sherries to turn it into a cream sherry Pedro Ximenz of Moscatel Wine has to be added.
The fermentation process of sherry is a fairly complex one. The grapes from the Palomino variety are pressed gently to extract the juice. The juice that is used to make sherry is only ever the first pressing of the grape – any further pressings are used to make wine of a lesser quality or to make wine vinegar. The juice is then fermented in a vat producing a wine with a fairly low alcohol content (10 – 11%) After the wine has fermented it is tasted and a classification given to it. This determines how the wine will be fortified. The fortification process uses a distilling wine and the resulting sherry can be anything from 15 – 17.5% alcohol content.
The wine is then stored in casks or barrels made from oak (This oak is nearly always from North America as it is slightly more porus than its European counterpart) The wine is aged and goes through a weird process of moving it through different barrels for a minimum of three years after which it is ready to drink and is therefore bottled.
Fiona Muller has been writing for over 20 years. She is a qualified journalist and has worked in food and drink writing for the last few years. For more information about Sherry go to www.laithwaites.co.uk
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Wineries Niagara on the Lake
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Ontario’s Wine region is blessed with a ‘cool climate’ that means that at the time of harvest grapes have more concentrated
flavors and balanced acidity levels. Further, the “lake effect” caused by lakes Erie and Ontario protects the precious vines
from frosts in the spring and grants the benefits of an extended growing season in the fall. Add to this the influence of
Ontario’s soils on the quality of grapes; there are many different varieties of grapes that can be produced in the four
viticultural areas of Ontario.
Sandy loam soil is found near the Lake Ontario shore, while silty clay is found on the escarpment bench areas. Because of
the unique quality of these soils the Niagara Escarpment wineries and Lake Ontario have been able to create a microclimate
suitable for the production of World Class Wines.
Wine Tours
To experience some of the most incredible wines you can opt for Niagara on the lake wine country tours. These wine tours
offer you the thrill of enjoying a multi-course lunch or dinner at a scenic winery location. You can choose from beautiful
courtyard settings, bistros with expansive vineyard views, exceptional award winning Niagara on the lake restaurants.
Hillebrand Winery
Hillebrand is one of the best Niagara on the Lake wineries that captures the essence of Niagara’s wine lifestyle in a
stunning and relaxed environment. Hillebrand ice wine was the first icewine to come out of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Icewine is
produced by allowing the grapes to freeze naturally on the vine. Grapes in this condition acquire the optimum level of
sugar and flavor. Ontario’s Niagara region is currently the largest producer of icewines. Hillebrand also pioneered the
production of Trius in the Niagara region. Trius is a blend of selected best Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot
grapes.
Grape And Wine Festival
Wine enthusiasts can also look forward to the Niagara grape and wine festival that takes place in the middle of September
when the area celebrates the annual harvest of the grapes. Over a hundred exciting events take place during this ten day
celebration.
The attendees get the opportunity of wine tasting, sampling the best of the regional cuisine, being entertained by live
concerts and enjoying the pageantry of two outstanding parades. If you’re visiting in late January, the town of
Niagara-on-the-Lake has an Ice Wine Celebration based around the harvesting of the ice wine grapes.
The VQA (Vintners Quality Alliance) consists of a set of standards for winemaking excellence from the vineyard right
through to the bottling line. Every Ontario VQA wine earns its position by meeting demanding standards and then undergoes
complete laboratory and taste testing. If a wine has VQA on its label, you can be sure that it represents authenticity and
quality. Perfect grapes, a Passion for winemaking and an Obsession for quality is the essence of VQA certified Ontario wines.
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