general
Wine may be fermented and aged in a variety of materials including stainless steel, oak and ceramic vessels, including concrete. The use of oak barrels is very common and its use dates back to the early days of Roman wine making. While stainless s...
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general
It may sound like an odd question; an egg in wine? Winemakers use many different products to fix flaws and flavors. But it usually difficult to know which ones have gone into your glass. There’s no law requiring bottles to be labeled with these i...
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general
Ever wonder how terms like ‘Jammy,’ ‘Buttery,’ and ‘Earthy’ can be associated with wine? A product that made with grapes? Previously we looked at “How do all those flavors get into wine?” There we learned that taste and smell come from the combina...
Read more →Like an old coin, an old painting, an old stamp, an old car or any other antique, old items hold certain appeal and intrigue. Maybe it’s the notion of what was happening at the time when the item was made. Or, it could just be the look and feel of an...
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behind the cork
2013 Hess Select Central Coast Pinot Noir ($16) This Pinot Noir is from the Santa Lucia Highlands in Monterey, CA . Nice red fruit flavors of sour cherry, rhubarb and Pomegranate. Another fine Pinot Noir from California at a very reasonable price....
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It’s commonly believed that older wine is better. And that can be true. But often, it’s not. If you’ve read some of my past blogs, you know that one of my favorite lines is that a wine cellar is not a wine hospital — it doesn’t make a bad wine bet...
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behind the cork
2014 Oak Ridge Lodi Ancient Vine Zinfandel ($12) This Zinfandel has great dark fruit flavors, a bit of black pepper and nice chocolate, vanilla and caramel from its oak aging. While this Zinfandel varietal is made from at least 75% of the Zinfande...
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general
There are a lot of confusing wine terms. And there seems to be constant confusion over the difference between a variety and a varietal. Yet, it’s quite simple. Old World wines, most notably from western European countries such as France, Italy, Sp...
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behind the cork
2015 Blackstone Winemaker’s Select California Merlot ($5) The theme of Behind the Cork *™ - *Wine of the Week is to feature affordable and attainable wines that are enjoyable to drink. This Merlot fits that description. This Merlot is blended wit...
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general
Last time we looked at the term “Vinted by” that may appear on a wine label indicating that somebody else grew the grapes and/or produced the wine. The sellers simply put their name on it. A step up is the situation where the winery and the winery...
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