Vine Vibe Uncorked 
Rose’ is on the rise! The market for Rose’ wines has more than doubled in the last decade. There is a whole new group of wine drinkers who pick “Pink” for their preferred wine. Who is this group of consumers? Millennials
Younger consumers prefer sweeter Rose’. This reminds me of the Pink wine cooler days of my youth! The Millennials have played a large role in creating the “Pink” image in social media for Rose’ wines. The popularity of this segment led Italy to create a National Rose’ day. It is all the rage right now to get all wine enthusiasts to think Pink!
Another reason for the rise in popularity is that Rose’ works well in spring and summer. It can be enjoyed anywhere and can be mixed into cocktails.
A decade ago Rose’ only consisted of sweeter wines. Now the variety of Rose’ spans bone dry to sweet, cheap to expensive, and simple to complex. The color and source has also changed. The “Pink” wine from California is now very pale pink and primarily from Provence.
I recommend trying a variety of Rose’ to find your favorite. A couple of my favorites Rose’s under $20 are Rosa di Germina (dry) and Rosa Regale (sweet).
Pick up a Rose’ for your next occasion and “Surf the Pink Wave!”
~Cheers
~Keep the conversation going and the wine flowing
Whenever I decide to go on a diet, I immediately miss chocolate and wine before I start. With the popular low carb/low sugar diets, is there a way to include wine and not be cheating? Yes!
The key is to pick dry wines that are the lowest in both carbs and sugar. Some wineries produce low sugar wines with less than 1 gram of sugar. Sounds like ordering a diet soda…when I really want the ice cream sundae.
There is hope. Fit Vine and Dry Farms Wines are virtually void of sugar in a 5 oz serving (No you can’t drink the whole bottle).
Other good choices low in sugar and carbs are:
-Sauvignon Blanc – 3g carbs per serving
-Merlot – 3.7g carbs per serving
-Champagne – 2g carbs per serving
-Pinot Noir – 3.4g per serving
-Pinot Grigio – 3g per serving
When shopping, avoid dessert wines because, well… they are “dessert” and with dessert comes sugar and carbs. Port and Ice Wine along with other wines labeled (Dolce, Demi-Sec, Semi-Sec) are in the dessert family, and along with it – are also higher in sugar and carbs.
Hope is on the label. When it comes to dry wines, look for descriptions such as (Brut, Dry or Extra Dry) to tip you off about a lower sugar and carb choices.
On our quest to a thinner and healthier lifestyle… fellow wine enthusiasts, we can keep wine on the menu! Just be specific in your choice!
~Cheers
~Keep the conversation going and the wine flowing
You may have noticed these interesting Wine Tap systems popping up in various locations. I recently saw one pictured above at Doris’s Italian Market & Bakery. It was interesting watching customers wander the market with their cart and a glass of wine. In fairness, most of the shoppers were women with their husbands following behind with a glass of wine. The wine is the incentive to tag along on the errand!
The wine tap system allows guests to taste a variety of wines without investing in a full bottle. It allows consumers to step out of their comfort zone, trying wines they would not have if only available in a bottle. Wineries are putting all the passion and time into the wine making process with the last step of bottling the wine swapped for placing the wine in a keg. This may sound overly ghosh to the wine snobs among us; some view this system in the category of boxed wines.
The boxed wine comparison is a common misconception. The wine is the same quality wine that is placed in the bottles. The difference is how long it stays fresh when it is opened. I personally don’t keep an open bottle of wine past 3 days. With the wine tap, the wine in the keg remains the same as an unopened bottle of wine would. For wine to stay fresh, it must avoid oxidation and or/over heating. Kegged wine actually makes it easier to stay fresh because the wine never touches air until it is about to be served.
The first glass poured will be as fresh as the last glass poured.
From an environmental standpoint, there is almost zero waste due to oxidation, broken corks and spoiled wine.
At the end of the day, the system gives you Fresh Wine, without waste for a better price.
~Cheers
~Keep the wine flowing and the conversation going
I was walking through Whole Foods and saw a display for 19 Crimes Australian Red blend. The description was a medium body blend with notes of blackberry.
I was curious and started reading the story on the bottle. The Australian wine is named after a practice that began in Britain in 1783. There were 19 crimes that would normally end in a death sentence for criminals. Britain decided instead of capital punishment, they would just put the criminals on a ship and send them to live in Australia. Many of the criminals died at sea during the journey. The ones who made it to Australia built a new life, building a colony from scratch. The wine celebrates the culture and new life that was created.
There are 19 corks that are randomly used in the 19 Crimes wine.
Each cork has the name of one of the 19 crimes that would result in a person being sentenced to “Punishment by Transportation”.
After enjoying this wine, I would describe it a little differently than Whole Foods did. I found it to be very Full bodied and on the sweet side. It did smooth out some after putting it through an aerator several times.
Does the label or story of the wine draw you to try something new?
~Cheers
~Let’s keep the conversation going and the wine flowing!
Let’s uncork the mystery surrounding decanting. Why do we decant wine? Many people decant to simply separate wine from sediment. The majority of wine drinkers decant to aerate the wine. Decanting exposes wine to air, which oxygenates the wine. In this process a chemical reaction occurs that releases flavors and aromas. Young wines that have tight closed structures, open after decanting. With these young wines, you can decant multiple times to expose the wine to more air. Even very inexpensive wines taste measurably better after this process.
The basic definition of decanting is the process of pouring the contents from one vessel into another. As simple as it sounds, this part of the wine experience can be very intimidating to many wine drinkers.
To begin, decant your bottle of wine just before serving it. If it is a particularly tannic wine, such as Bordeaux or Chateaneuf-du-Pape, two hours before is ideal. Wines that I prefer to decant are: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet blends, Syrah, and Syrah blends.
There are unlimited shapes, sizes, styles, and prices of decanters to choose from. Some decanters look like a basic glass pitcher while others are pieces of art unto themselves. Experiment with different decanters and different wines to find what you enjoy the most.
For me, I enjoy the ritual of pouring my glass of wine from a beautiful decanter. Part of the fun of wine is creating the ambiance for your special moment to relax and enjoy.
~ Cheers
~ Lets keep the conversation going and the wine flowing!
John Legend looks for the “perfect balance in notes , colors and instruments to come together in music”. When all of these come together in harmony, you have magic.
He searches for the same thing in creating wine. “Harmony!”
Music, Food, and Wine what more could we want? Coopers Hawk Restaurants chose a Legend Vineyard Exclusive Red for their wine of the month in October. If you are a wine member at Coopers Hawk, you can sample this wine in the tasting room and take a bottle home for your wine pick this month.
This is one of my favorite wines they have offered outside of their own Luxe wines this year. It is a great balance of flavors, bold, but not overpowering.
~Cheers
What is better than a great Champagne cocktail? How about enjoying it on a deck overlooking the ocean….. I stopped at Kyle G’s Prime Seafood in Jensen Beach, FL. The restaurant is beautiful with windows overlooking the ocean, but the deck…. that was my spot for SA relaxing!
Ocean breezes, Champagne and a deck with walk out to the beach make for a perfect day. (Kind of sounds like a Kenny Chesney song!)
I am usually a purist when it comes to Champagne, but I decided to try one of their signature mimosas. The Blushing Mimosa is Champagne, Wycliff, Rumhaven, Pineapple Juice with a layer of Grenadine. (Delicious and could be very habit forming!)
If you are in the area, I highly recommend trying some of the Champagne cocktails. Let me know which one is your favorite!
~Cheers
I love wine and bourbon….but together? I am not sure about this one.
This new trend in the wine industry started in 2014 with the launch of “1000 Stories” by Fetzer Vineyard.
Wine is typically aged in Oak barrels. (Either French or American Oak)
With Bourbon barrels, they are required by law to be 100% American Oak and heavily charred.
The challenge for wine makers is to prevent Bourbon barrels from overwhelming the character of the wine. To prevent this, the aging time is usually 1 – 2 months instead of the typical 1 -2 years.
While I think this idea is very cool, it does not seem much different in taste to me than a wine aged in an American barrel. Bourbon popularity has been increasing exponentially since 1999. In my humble opinion, this is more about marketing and creating a new wine segment to capitalize on the growth of Bourbon.
What are your thoughts? Have you found a Bourbon Barrel wine that has convinced you to add it to your list of favorites?
~Cheers
If you have visited wineries in the past and purchased a wine tasting, you undoubtedly have been asked to join their wine club. After sampling several wines, you start realizing that you need to have all of these wines delivered to your home on a regular basis! Is this really the right decision for you???
Joining a wine club is a commitment. Before you go to wineries for tastings, do your research. Most wine clubs offer similar benefits, but a few go above and beyond.
When joining a wine club you are committing to purchase 1 -3 bottles on a monthly or quarterly basis. The wine is discounted (usually 10 – 20% off retail) and a flat shipping fee charged to deliver to your home. Most wineries will include tasting notes, and/or recipes for pairing the wines they are sending.
The real benefits apply when you live in the vicinity of the winery. Some benefits that may be offered are:
-Discounts on Wine purchased directly from the Winery
-Free tastings at the winery for you and a guest
-Invitations to Wine-Club Member Only events
-Pre-sale for concerts and special events at the winery
-Excusive members only dinners
-Access to limited release and library selections
If you don’t live near your favorite winery, see if they host events in other areas. Mondavi for example, hosts events across the country.
Do your homework! ~Cheers
Happy National Red Wine Day! Today ushers in the flavors of fall…. unless you live in Florida. Here we just turn our air conditioners on high and pretend it’s fall. If the temperature drops in the 70’s at any point, we break out the UGG boots and Parkas! (You think I am kidding)
This time of year means the grapes are ripening and it is time to break out the reds.
One of my personal favorites is FreeMark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon. I actually discovered this wine in the Bahamas. I tried it by the glass and loved it. At dinner that night I ordered a bottle. The funny part was a glass was $20 (a little high over there) a bottle was $90? I tried to explain to the server that this did not make sense. Finally we ordered 4 glasses at $80 from a new bottle 🙂
This Cab is a dark ruby color. It has notes of blackberry, dark cherry and cinnamon. (These are my tasting notes) For more information on this wine and their full offerings, go to http://www.Freemarkabbey.com
~Cheers
Vine Vibe Uncorked 