Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Good Tasting Wine at Low Cost.

If you love wine as much as I do you will find out it can get a bit expensive if you don't know the secret of buying low. That is why I decided to share some some good affordable wines under $15.00 and some personal tips that will help you enjoy your wine better. There is a difference between low cost wine and cheap wine. Cheap wine is simply cheap! Cheap Wine will never be good. Low cost wine is good tasting and has the potential of becoming great. Cost does not dictate a good wine "all the time". My personal tips will have you understand good quality wine can be purchased at a lower cost all the time . Check out my tips below.

Wine: The Beginning of An Incredible Love Story.
The beginning of my interest and love for wine manifested 18 years ago while building a home for a doctor. While building his home I found it very intriguing how he cared more about his wine cellar than he did any other room in the house. This was the beginning of my interviews with many wine enthusiasts. My very first question to this doctor was: Why is this cellar so important? With no hesitation, he answered: "Money". He bought and traded himself a collection that was worth over $250,000. He told me he loves wine but buying and trading was his real love. Shortly after I met the owners of a cabinet shop who also owned two restaurants at the time. I will always remember this husband and wife couple for their love of the wine itself. They took pride in researching the history of each bottle they ever opened so that they would not only taste the grape but the land, the people and the air it took to make it. Irregardless of the reason for your love of wine, I started this blog to share, encourage and educate wine lovers of all kinds.

Don't be fooled:
Many people are fooled in believing the more expensive the wine the better the taste. Not true!! Wine prices is a lot like the stock market in the sense that there is a lot of undiscovered wines out there. Wine that are hidden gems waiting for people to catch on. Many things can determine the price of wine but taste is not always the case. I have tasted all kinds of wines from the different vineyards through out the years. You can buy wines under $15.00 and as low as $5.00 from most vineyards. Below I have chosen some good vineyards that I like for there affordable wine selections. I think you will be shocked to see these wines at your favorite restaurant marked up considerably. So please don't fall under the assumption that cost makes for a better wine.





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Scroll below and learn about Vineyards or Wineries I have sampled for low cost wines.





I love Lucy stumping grapes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tw0D-Rv_vro



Scroll below-Important helpful tips :

This takes research and some sampling, but buying from a good vineyard the year it comes out and storing it for a later date is the way you will always have an affordable peaked year. "This is how a good collection is born". You can accumulated a nice collection of bottles by by purchasing the very year it came out. Of course you have tasted and researched there history before committing. It takes will power at first to be able to hold them till there peak year but if you do, you always have aged wine for a special moment. Start by collecting 24 bottles a year. Most red wines peak at its 4th to 5th year. White wines have a shorter peak year on or about the 3rd year. Remember, wine is good to drink at any year but to have one at its savory peak is for a special moment. Practice to be a good wine taster by learning how to activate your sense of smell and taste. You can do this by smelling and tasting everything that you eat and drink. Yes, "I mean everything". Do this as often as possible and it will not only make you a better wine taster but it will allow you to enjoy everything so much more. By doing your homework and finding out the ingredient of what you are consuming will help you at first. After a while you will not have to even read up on it, you will be able to tell what the ingredient is easily. Just smelling is not enough you have to inhale and tell your brain what are you smelling. I know this exercises sounds weird but it works if you are willing to give it time. The only down flaw from committing to this exercise will be you starting to notice that somethings are not worth consuming. Yes, you will become a critic soon. As soon as I started doing this exercise I started to even enjoy life a lot more. Going to the lake, beach, everything I did came alive. Blind people can comprehend this because they have no other choice than to use those senses. Try it and you will never regret it. Remember, wine is good to drink at any year but to have one at its savory peak is for a special moment. Storing wine is important. Remember these tips. Dark, no vibration, 50-60 degrees, humidity at or about 65-75% , and store on its side with it tipped towards the cork so it remains wet. These rules are pretty self explanatory if you need more clarification please email me. Remember, wine is good to drink at any year but to have one at its savory peak is for a special moment. Tannin is found in grape skins, seeds, and stems. They are a natural antioxidant that helps with the aging of red wines. The younger the stronger the tannin. The older it gets the tannin starts softening. That is why you should aerate all red wines at its young age. Aerate your wine before drinking will activate the aroma and soften the tannins for a better taste. You can do this by simply putting it in a decanter and letting it sit for an hour or so. If you don't have a decanter pour a glass and let it sit along with the bottle for an hour or so. By doing this you will have removed enough of the wine out of the bottle for oxygen to do its job. There are many aerator products in the market now that range in prices like the Soiree, Venturi, and the Respirer that allows you to sample and drink right away. Aerating is the purpose for the swirling of the glass that I know you have seen done. Only a little is poured into your glass for sampling then by holding the glass by its stem and moving it around vigorously without spilling softens the tannin. Consider the tannin the lid on a pot of homemade chicken soup that has been cooking for over an hour. When the lid is lifted the aroma is released for you to enjoy. You can smell the ingredients it took to make up that great pot of soup almost immediately. Learn to move your glass often before taking a sip so you can uncover the hidden smells for a proper taste. Remember, wine is good to drink at any year but to have one at its savory peak is for a special moment. Prepare yourself when visiting vineyards or wineries by reviewing the great tips that Wilson Creek Winery and Vineyards has put together. Click link to visit. http://www.wilsoncreekwinery.com/Wine-101/Tips-for-Visiting-Wineries.aspx


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Find out the vineyards or the wineries in your state below