Salivating for my next glass of wine.......

OK, so at 7 months pregnant I can still tell you the last day I had a glass of wine. July 16, 2011. And I am eagerly counting down the days until I can savor a nice glass of wine. Once I can, and do, I have full intentions of trying to rate and taste some wines that I will share with you!!!

You may also see my baby wearing this onesie, that I JUST HAD to share from etsy.com

"Life is like a box of chocolates....you never know whatch-ur gonna get"

And that is exactly the case with "Two Buck Chuck" wine....or as the label says Charles Shaw wine. No two bottles of the same grape varietal of Charles Shaw wine ever seem to taste the same.   Now, before you read on, don't get your hopes of of immediately trying "two buck chuck wine." Trader Joes started carrying the wine in 2002 and seems to be the only major carrier to this day. If you are sitting in a state without a Trader Joe's grocery store.....like I AM RIGHT NOW...you are going to have to hold off on trying this fantastic economical wine until you can get to a state in which it is sold.  I have tried scouring the internet for other retailers that carry it....no such luck. I even tried my local Total Wine store to see if they would order me a case....again no such luck.    We were fortunate enough to have some friends from Atlanta DRIVE us a case when they were in town visiting and also were able to visit Trader Joes in Napa Valley to bring home two bottles !!!

Find a Trader Joes here....http://www.traderjoes.com/stores/index.asp

What makes it so cheap? There are a ton of rumors as to why it is so cheap. The real reason?  The grapes are from California's Central Valley....as opposed to the more prestigious grapes from Napa Valley. However, the wines parent company owns a winery and bottling company in Napa Valley, they are able to put the "Napa Valley" distinction on the label of Charles Shaw wine. A ton of Napa Valley grapes can cost around $2,000 whereas a ton from the Central Valley can get as low as $60.....wow.

I do not claim to have tried any of the Charles Shaw whites, but have tried the Cabernet, Merlot and Shiraz and all are tasty in my book.

They really should call it Three Buck Chuck as it is now about $2.99 a bottle...but hey that's a bargain in my book.

One of my sources....http://www.snopes.com/business/market/shawwine.asp

Wine Glass Woes- Is it really better to buy that fancy crystal wine glass?

OK so the above glass is fun, girly, and just my style....a shopaholic wine glass? YES PLEASE.... the one above by Lolita will definitely make your wine experience fun....but will it help to make your wine experience better? Maybe or maybe not .  Keep reading for more on what you should consider when choosing your next set of wine glasses.  

Size
If you are drinking a red wine...which is my favorite, small glasses are all kinds of WRONG. Try and get and a good swirl and sniff with a smaller opening and my friend, its just not happening.  For red wine you want a glass that holds at LEAST 12 ounces, but the best ones hold in upwards of 16 to 24 ounces. Those big bowl glasses let our red wine come into contact with more air, letting it breathe and intensifying its aroma.   For white wines, you want a glass that holds 10 to 12 ounces and for sparkling wines you are fine with 8 to 12 ounces.  I used to think it was ridiculous to get those gigantic red wine glasses... but now I know, they are the best for getting a good, stick your nose in the glass, sniff. Don't fill that puppy up all the way or you may be wearing your wine as you swirl.

Thickness
Go to a winery, invest in a tasting....and I guarantee you they will not be serving you wine from some thick wine glass like you would find at a cheap restaurant. They do this for good reason. The thinner the glass, the better your wine tastes. Go ahead and try it.   Get one of those thick glasses and then a beautiful crystal one and I guarantee you it will taste better. There are conflicting reasons as to why it tastes better .Some argue it is because of the roughness of crystal as opposed to regular glass, some argue it is because we taste with our eyes and the thinner crystal just looks better. Whatever the reason I am a believer and will be sticking to my crystal wine glasses.

Color
Colored glasses are not for wine. Those big blue glasses. No. Don't do it..... please. PLEASE do not serve your wine in those!!! Use a regular clear wine glass.

My favorite selection....

Are they pricey? Yeah, they are, but their quality speaks for itself.   The Robert Mondavi collection for Waterford is my choice and what I choose for serving wine at my house! If you choose to shop at a convenient retailer, you can find them sold in a pair at Macy's for $50.   If you prefer to shop around for a deal, you can get lucky and find them at Amazon.com or Overstock.com anywhere from $22.99 to $40 for the pair. Hard to find, but the Bordeaux and Cabernet Sauvignon glasses are my favorite.  Take good care of those glasses...you may want to hand wash them so you don't wind up crying over a broken wine glass. We have lost 2 glasses in our household. One to the dishwasher and one to my golden retrievers tail. Like I said they are not cheap, treat them well.

If those hand painted wine glasses are more your fancy...go for it...there are hand painted wine glasses for every occasion on the Lolita site....they meet the criteria of size, shape and thickness...but may make it hard for you to really swirl and check out the color and clarity of your wine. http://www.lolitawineglasses.com/lowigl.html

Was your New Years Resolution to eat healthy? Drink more wine!

I would love to say that I made a New Years Resolution this year....but I did not. However, the top resolutions for 2012 according to usa.gov....#1 Drink Less Alcohol and #2 Eat Healthy. Ok well. I say here is to moderation of your alcohol in achieving goal #2...to be healthy.   I don't believe in diets, I don't believe in limiting yourself of what you love.....its all about moderation, right? AND WINE, in moderation, has been long proven to actually be good for you.

According to Health Magazine(http://www.health.com/) the top 6 reasons Why a Little Glass of Wine Each Day Will Do You Good.

1) Feed Your Head
Wine could preserve your memory. When researchers gave memory quizzes to women in their 70s, those who drank one drink or more every day scored much better than those who drank less or not at all. Wine helps prevent clots and reduce blood vessel inflammation, both of which have been linked to cognitive decline and heart disease, explains Tedd Goldfinger, DO, of the University of Arizona School of Medicine. Alcohol also seems to raise HDL, the so-called good cholesterol, which helps unclog your arteries.
2) Keep the Scale in Your Corner
Studies find that people who drink wine daily have lower body mass than those who indulge occasionally; moderate wine drinkers have narrower waists and less abdominal fat than people who drink liquor. Alcohol may encourage your body to burn extra calories for as long as 90 minutes after you down a glass. Beer seems to have a similar effect.
3) Boost Your Bodies Defenses
In one British study, those who drank roughly a glass of wine a day reduced by 11% their risk of infection by Helicobacter pylori bacteria, a major cause of gastritis, ulcers, and stomach cancers. As little as half a glass may also guard against food poisoning caused by germs like salmonella when people are exposed to contaminated food, according to a Spanish study.
4) Guard Against Ovarian WoesWhen Australian researchers recently compared women with ovarian cancer to cancer-free women, they found that roughly one glass of wine a day seemed to reduce the risk of the disease by as much as 50 percent. Earlier research at the University of Hawaii produced similar findings. Experts suspect this may be due to antioxidants or phytoestrogens, which have high anticancer properties and are prevalent in wine. And in a recent University of Michigan study, a red wine compound helped kill ovarian cancer cells in a test tube.
5) Build Better BonesOn average, women who drink moderately seem to have higher bone mass than abstainers. Alcohol appears to boost estrogen levels; the hormone seems to slow the body’s destruction of old bone more than it slows the production of new bone.
6) Prevent Blood Sugar Trouble
Premenopausal women who drink one or two glasses of wine a day are 40 percent less likely than women who don’t drink to develop type 2 diabetes, according to a 10-year study by Harvard Medical School. While the reasons aren’t clear, wine seems to reduce insulin resistance in diabetic patients.

And Finally ........A little Wine Reading Material to FEED YOUR HEAD !

I have not yet read the book above, but have added it to my reading list for 2012 and just ordered on Amazon for a mere $3.48 plus shipping...not bad for a nearly 400 page paperback on the health benefits of wine. Now this book and red wine in general are not part of the "diet to help you lose weight," but instead maintain an overall healthy lifestyle. Roger Corder chronicles in this book the health benefits that red wine drinkers achieve. Wine drinkers are less prone to heart disease, diabetes, and dementia than non- wine drinkers. But also gets into what exactly is it about wine that keeps us healthy? Which is better for you, a California Cabernet or Syrah from the south of France? How can you choose wines that both suit your tastes and benefit your health? Happy Reading!

Updates to Posts- Cork Creations and Sparkling Wine!

Wine Cork Letters(from my 'Cork Creations' post)
I received a few emails and facebook posts about the wine cork letters....soooo for those of you that love the wine cork letters, you can find wooden letter cut outs(if you don't want to attempt yourself) at http://www.craftcuts.com/. I originally included this link, but have now ordered a wooden letter from them myself.  I ordered a big "H" for my baby to be's nursery, and it was a very easy process.....you pick your font(and there are MANY to choose from), the height and the thickness of the wood. EASY PEASY.  The choices of height range from 6" to 48" which makes it nice to choose based on the number of corks you have to work with and the wall size you have to hang your letter.  Once the nursery is done, I will be making a letter out of corks myself, so stay tuned for my project!

Domaine Carneros Sparkling Wine(from my New Years Eve post on Champagne 101)
In shopping for a bottle of champagne to give for a friends 30th Birthday....we found a couple of bottles of Domaine Carneros at a local grocery store!!! We live in Florida and have looked at Total Wine, ABC Liquor and Publix Supermarket on many occasions with no luck in finding Domaine Carneros.  I am not sure if it is readily available at other Publix locations, but keep your eye out! We found 1 bottle of the 2007 Brut Sparkling wine for $28.99 and a few bottles of the 2008 Rose Cuvee for $36.99...which is only a couple of dollars more than what you would spend if you were buying it on site at the vineyard and MUCH cheaper than the shipping cost in ordering online. HAPPY SHOPPING!

Are you ready for New Years Eve? Champagne and Sparkling Wine 101

I will be celebrating New Years Eve this year with a glass of "sparkling grape juice." HARDLY the same as a glass of "bubbly." If I WERE to be drinking a nice glass of champage or sparkling wine this year...I have a few thoughts on what I might be enjoying.  Below are a few to share. You may also be wondering the difference between Champagne and sparkling wine.....I will cover that too.

Here is the low down to help you sound uber knowledgeable and have everyone commending you on your fine bottle of bubbly at your New Years Eve celebrations. In trying to impress a larger crowd...know that champagnes and sparkling wines are classified by how dry they are. The most popular is "brut." Which also happens to be my favorite.

My favorites...I am sure these are not the best out there....just the best in my experience. I am including the label pictures to help.

Under $30- Mumm Napa Brut

Between $30-50- Champagne De Margerie Grand Cru

Over $50- Veuve Clicquot, by far my favorite champagne thus far!

If it wasn't cutting it so close to the Holiday...you would have had time to order a bottle from my favorite Napa Valley Sparkling wine vineyard....Domaine Carneros...as I am thinking of it…I may order myself a bottle to have in house for next year :-) If you visit Napa Valley, this is great place to stop on your way in to town.  We did the sparkling wine sampler, which was perfect.   My favorite is the 2007 Ultra Brut Sparkling Wine.




The difference between Champagne and Sparkling Wine
The difference is simple. Champagne is from the Champagne region of France. Any other bottle from the US, Italy, whatever…are all "sparkling wines." Enough said.


How to best serve
The best temperture to serve is 45 degrees. Easy enough. Place it in the fridge for about 3 hours before serving.


What causes the bubbles in your bubbly?
As part of the fermentation process the winemaker adds yeast and sugar….they combine to create carbon dioxide…which makes the bubbles and a lot of pressure when trapped in a small space!

Enjoy your New Years Eve celebrations! Happy 2012 to all! 

Wine Tasting Party

This past summer we got together with friends for a night of wine tasting fun. We had all intentions of hosting one each month, but a) we started right before football season and weekends were very hard to plan this Fall when someones favorite team was not playing...and b) I got pregnant so I didn't pursue finding a date to get together. However, the concept was simple and so fun! I have all intentions of reinstating these such events as soon as I can drink and my life with a little one settles down in 2012.

How it works:
1) Find a home to host the event
2) Send out invites
3) Each attendee brings 1 bottle of wine(conceal its label when you arrive)
4) Place in paper bag and write a number on the front and the letter R for "red" or W for White
5) Place all reds in a row and all whites in a row
6) Give each attendee a scoring sheet
7) Each guest should sample each wine and rank them
8) At the end all votes are tallied and ranked! The guest who brought the winning red and winning white receive a prize! In our case, the host bought gift cards to local restaurants on restaurant.com....but the choice is yours!

We found it fun to also add in the element of cost....it was interesting to see if the wine was a cheap bottle or a pricey bottle of wine! Here are some photos of our fun....and might I brag...my Frogs Leap Sauvignon Blanc won the winning white :-)