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Gamay: The outcast, the party girl, the sophisticated lady
Gamay is a complicated grape. It has a festive profile and sophisticated chilled nature, but also a troubled life and difficult past. I’m writing an ode to Gamay for what it’s been through and for overcoming injustice and coming out on top. For me, Gamay is not just a grape,…
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Wines of Crete
Everything you need to know about the authentic wines produced on this ancient winemaking island Photo Credit: Douloufakis Winery The island of Crete is the biggest of the Greek islands and the most southerly. Although it only recently got into the spotlight as a winemaking region, this beautiful island is…
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A Quick Guide to Wine Color and The Factors Behind It
Drinking wine can be pure joy, however tasting wine, with focus and intent, can take you on a full-fledged multisensory and intellectual journey. Collecting information through the senses, from the appearance, the aromas on the nose, and the flavors and structure detected on the palate, can help decipher what the…
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Wine Temperature: The make-or-break factor in enjoying wine
There is no bigger injustice to wine than drinking it at the wrong temperature. This is not a dramatic statement; it is an accurate one. Wine temperature is the single most underrated factor influencing the enjoyment of wine. It can significantly change the perception of aromatics, alcohol, tannins, sweetness, and…
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Wine Blends: The Treasures of the Wine World
Why they are necessary and important. There is a common misconception among wine consumers that if their wine is a blend of different grape varieties, then it is of inferior quality, a hybrid, a mere “muggle” wine! This cannot be further from the truth. In fact, the most famous premium…
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Assessing the Champagne Glass: All you need to know about the coupe the flute and the tulip
Champagne has always been synonymous with festivities, celebrations, and toasts. Recently, however, it is being regarded as so much more than that: a well-crafted sparkling wine to be enjoyed, analyzed and assessed, because sparkling wine, above all else, is…well…wine. More people are drinking premium quality sparkling wine- and more frequently.…
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Old Vines Beyond The Romance:
Their effect on wine and the future of vineyards There is a lot of romanticism in the world of wine. An old vine is a perfect example of that. Its significance as a witness to history, culture, and its caregivers, generation after generation, is the epitome of romance. ALSO… Old…
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Noble Rot Wines: A Guide to the Premium Sweet Wines made from Rotting Grapes
The sound of ‘fungus attacked grapes’ spells doom to the ears of most. The image of rotting grapes in the vineyard is hardly a romantic one promising a good vintage. That is unless this fungus is the ‘Noble Rot’.Noble rot is a beneficial form of a fungus called ‘Botrytis Cinerea’.…
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Aging Wine: Which wines age gracefully and what do they evolve into?
Wine’s destiny is to be enjoyed at its best. That might include drinking wine at the recommended temperature or matching it with the right food, but the prerequisite remains: opening the bottle when it reaches its full potential. The vast majority of the wines available to consumers are at their…
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The Revival of Amphoras
Why are modern wineries using them and what is their effect on wine? If the merchants and royalty of ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt could hop into a time machine and see the resurgence of amphoras today, they would be in awe of these basic vessels that seem evidently eternal!…
