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What to Do About Sediment in Wine general

What to Do About Sediment in Wine

Have you ever gotten to that last sip of a glass of wine only to get a mouth-full of sediment? Instead of savoring that last sip, you end up spitting it out. An unpleasant way to finish. And that’s what recently happened to me as shown in the phot...

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Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week behind the cork

Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2015 Ventisquero Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva ($15) Chile has been producing wine for more than 400 years. But, in the past 30 years has really made great strides in producing highly notable wines. And the Maipo Valley has become Chile’s red wine co...

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How Lees & Battonage Are Used in Wine Making general

How Lees & Battonage Are Used in Wine Making

A couple of weeks ago, I reviewed a Sauvignon Blanc from Chile. The tech sheet that came with it described how the wine was made including the terms ‘maceration,’ ‘lees,’ and ‘battonage.’ We took a brief look at ‘maceration’ last time where, simpl...

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Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week behind the cork

Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

Valdivieso Sparkling Rosé Brut ($13) Viña Valdivieso dates back to 1879 when Alberto Valdivieso founded Champagne Valdivieso, the first company in Chile and South America to make sparkling wine. Today they continue making sparkling wines and still...

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What Does the Word 'Maceration' Mean in Wine Making? general

What Does the Word ‘Maceration’ Mean in Wine Making?

The words ‘maceration,’ ‘lees,’ and ‘battonage’ are somewhat technical wine words. My recent review of a Sauvignon Blanc from Chile included these terms that were included on the spec sheet. While the words themselves may be unfamiliar, their meani...

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Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week behind the cork

Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2016 Ventisquero Casablanca Valley Sauvignon Blanc Reserva ($15) This wine is from the Casablanca Valley of Chile. In the Northern region of Chile, this valley has strong coastal influences that keep temperatures cool, adding as much as a month to...

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Ever Wonder How to Store an Opened Bottle of Wine? ever wonder

Ever Wonder How to Store an Opened Bottle of Wine?

It happens. You open and bottle of wine but don’t finish it. Now what? Well, you a have a couple of options. First, it’s best if you can limit wine’s exposure to air. Exposure to air will tend to take the life out of it. So, it’s best to use a d...

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Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week behind the cork

Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2015 Valdivieso Valley Selection Sauvignon Blanc Gran Reserve ($17) Chile is turning out some highly-acclaimed wines that are also great values. This Sauvignon Blanc, from the Valle de Leyda in Chile’s San Antonio Region, is a fine example. Found...

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behind the cork

Ever Consider a Wine from Chile?

If you like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, you really should check out the highly-acclaimed wines coming from Chile. And, they’re great values too. Spanish missionaries began planting grapes in Chile in the 1500’s to mak...

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general

Toasted Oak Barrels and Their Effect on Wine Flavor

Last time we looked at the differences between new oak versus neutral oak wine barrels. New oak imparts lots of flavors to wine. But after about three vintages, the oak no longer imparts flavor so it is called neutral oak. Much of the flavor imparte...

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