love some cheap light to medium red?love this recommendation...

Asian food is great. Love it but sometimes a meal just seem imperfect without painting it with some reds. This recommendation that I'm gonna make this time round is great with asian dishes and even with barbecue food!

And yes, the star of this recommendation is a 100% Merlot. Being a medium-bodied, soft red, this grape is indeed a fashionable character in the world of wine. A product of the south of France, this creation is made by 2 young winemakers trained in the New World. Hence, you'll realise that this red tends to taste rather "New World" in style. So, if you happen to like fruity reds, you might just find this a comfortable choice. You can easily find yourself indulging in the powerful flavors of ripe cherries and plum. Feel the linger as this bottle of Merlot leaves a long and velvety aftertaste.

While not a bottle that can create a impact, but it surely is one that you can easily match with a wide range of savory dishes. Avoid, nevertheless, very light dishes like leafy salads and also any hearty stew or heavily spiced dishes. Otherwise, the touch it creates on your tongue makes it quite a safe match for your meal as it doesn't contain heavy tannins nor excess sugar. And importantly, its cheap pricing makes it affordable anytime, anywhere! Not only is it suitable with food, its soft fruity nature makes it a delicious choice on its very own too!!!woohoo~~prost!

So if you are interested in this bottle of wine that I've suggested, here's some references:




Merlot
Vin de Pays d’Oc
2004
Mis en bouteille a chanes pour af 21220

Hope you'll enjoy this recommendation. Once again, a comfortable choice given its price and soft touch.

P.S Just for some additional knowledge:
If you observe with some close attention, you might have noticed that the labeling in the above pictures do not look like classic French label which I once mentioned about in the previous post. This is so as wines from vin de pays d'Oc are labeled by the principal wine variety, instead of the origin. This thus makes it simpler and more comfortable for us to understand. *cheers*

Float with the bubbles, but mistake them not!

A glass so full of elegance, but yet so full of vibrancy! You drift as you allow the bubbles of energy and joy to run through your body as it enters so excitingly through your tongue. Love the dazzle of this world of wine because one touch of it may just lift you out of your burdened world. Enter with me to find out the truth of Champagne that many fail to see…

You love the bubbles and so do your friends. And many a times we thought Champagne is what we’re always having as we step into a party and get offered a glass of bubbly drink, or rather bubbly wine. Nice Champagne! Well, probably not so. It might well be just a nice sparkling wine.

Champagne (shahm-PAHN-yeh), where many types of champagne are made is actually the name of a region in France where these wines originate. So if you see a bottle of sparkling wine from New York, please don’t mistake it as Champagne. Just refer it to just sparkling wine will do. =)

And by now you probably already have the knowledge of knowing that many wines are termed and named after the grapes that they are made of. So how about Champagne? Oh sounds pretty easy. That will probably be “Champagne Grapes”! Unfortunately, no prize for saying that because nope, sorry Champagne is not made from “Champagne Grapes”. In fact, Champagne is actually made from a blend of 3 grapes that you should find familiar with. They are Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay. From the blend, you might be wondering now, how is it that wines from these same grapes are still but yet Champagne is bubbly. Thanks to “Methode Champenoise”, this being the Champagne making process. While sparklers from France tend to indicate the winemaking process on the front label, sparklers from outside of France tend not to do so. However, you might be able to steal some clues by turning to the back label of the bottle.

The creation of bubbles in all sparklers basically goes through two levels of fermentations. This comprises of firstly, fermenting the grape juice and letting it turn into still (non-sparkling) wine. The latter level involves turning the wine bubbly. If you are interested in peeping deeper into the roots of Champagne making, I recommend this website I came across.
http://www.thewinedoctor.com/regionalguides/champagne.shtml

Knowing the process may have helped you appreciate the bubbles more, but this is definitely not the end of the list you need to acquire should you decide to understand this beautiful creation. “What else?” you may ask. Well, some tips on the classification of Champagne might be useful. Most of the champagne you can easily reach out to would belong to those that are brut or extra dry. This would go perfectly with food. But what if your mood wished for a sweeter taste? Hmm, then demi-sec or sec might suit your preference. Here’s how you can differentiate while making your purchase (as extracted from the book “The Downtown Girl’s Guide to Wine”):

Demi-sec = really sweet, dessertlike
Sec = sweet, but not as sweet as demi-sec
Extra dry = a little sweet
Brut = pretty dry
Ultra or extra brut = as dry as you can get

Want to know why some champagne are so highly priced while some others are not? One of the contributing factors might be due to the fact that the bottle you’re holding is vintage Champagne. These in short are usually wine made from the best grapes from a single vintage. Another possible answer might be that the Champagne you are eyeing for is made from a boutique, specialized winery. In such cases, these boutiques produce high quality wines at a limited quantity. Therefore, its products tend to be priced higher to help it stay afloat financially. Or another highly possible reason might be that the bottle you’re holding is just a sparkling wine and not really Champagne at all! But despite these reasons and many more accompanying ones, these prices might not guarantee its quality sometimes.

And talking about sparklers as a whole, while prices are never really indicative of the quality, why not go for a safer guide? Bigger is never always better? Well, hear the protest of the bubbles because the size of the bubbles does count. Try out a bottle of cheaply priced $8 sparkler and a bottle of decent Champagne and you’ll understand what I mean.

The glam and excitement of sparkling wine and Champagne in particular is never limited to just this page. The distinction in every bottle is a wonderful creation in itself. The bubbles, the combination of taste and its very individualized outstanding appearance is always unique. You might not have tasted one, but be sure to enjoy the process right from the very beginning when you start choosing the bottle you want.

And yes, float with the bubbles but mistake them not! *Enjoy the PoP*

P.S. The above information is gathered from:
- http://bostonphoenix.com.- Uncorked
- http://www.thewinedoctor.com – Wine making process
- “The Downtown Girl’s Guide to Wine” by Megan Buckley and Sheree Bykofsky

Table wine for you?

You’ve probably heard and despise table wine and I definitely am not surprised by that fact. ‘Cos you’re not the only one feeling so and holding that perception towards table wine.

This is especially so if you’re looking at table wines in accordance to the European Union guidelines. Traditionally, in the European Union, wines fall into 2 categories, this being the table wine or the superior quality wine. In fact, table wines are so “unglamorous” in a way that they are not even permitted to disclose its exact origin or even its vintage dates!

Oh, and does “vin de table” sound familiar to you when I relate table wines to you? Well, if you do that’s simply because this is how it is termed in France and Luxembourg. I wonder if you hold the perception like I once use to hold, and that is anything in French sounds romantic and elegant. But sad to say, vin de table doesn’t really mean anything really elegant. This is because as a norm, vin de table (or vin ordinaire) actually means the 4^th or rather the lowest ranked grade in the French wine classification.

However, things get a little more neutral when we shift towards the United States. Here, the definition that is attached to table wines is any wine that contains alcohol content of between 7 to 14 percent. While this doesn’t connote any differences in the wine quality delivered, it’s sad to say that many a times table wine still lives in the shadow of being viewed as an inferior and inexpensive wine by many out there today.

So please allow me to try and help us remove this shadow and what seems like an old misconception that deserves a chance to prove itself.

Try stepping into a restaurant and hold a simple definition of table wine as just any wine that is not fortified or sparkling. Like I always believe, bringing a whole new perspective towards every new wine you encounter is always a fresh way to accept this unknown character that you’ve only always heard of but yet never tried before. Given this chance, the table wines are able to prove themselves sometimes as they appear before you in the list of table wine list that it is so not true that all table wines are inexpensive! You’ll see that the pricing of some “Red table wines” and “White table wines” are definitely not something you’ll regard as plain inexpensive. And so is their character! If you happen to make a right pick, you’ll understand why I say that some table wines are so not inferior to others. Their inborn beauty is indeed many a times a hidden beauty that deserve much recognition!

Oh and just a small note to make about this category of wine. If you haven’t noticed, most of these wines are technically termed dry. What this simply means is that the wine doesn’t have a lot of sugar in it. Most table wines are termed so even in the regard that is held with the understanding that some are less dry than the other. Therefore, logically speaking, you really shouldn’t ask for a “dry table wine” if you’re in a restaurant or a wine shop. If you’re dying for something really sweet, then maybe dessert wines are what you are looking for. =)

Hope you are slightly encouraged to wipe away that shadow you have over table wines. If you happen to try out some really delicious table wine, do share with me. After all, all wonderful wines deserve to be recognised don’t you agree? *Prost*

P.S. The above information is gathered from:
- “Wikipedia” for various definitions
- “The Downtown Girl’s Guide to Wine” by Megan Buckley and Sheree Bykofsky for some extra knowledge

*Thanks Jeremy for suggesting this topic! A great one you bring up there! =)

Dress up Ur Vino!

Don't have a big glass to keep your wine cool? Is there a better way??

Well, have you ever tried putting ice cubes into your glass of vino and then only to realise that after a couple of minutes, instead of enhancing your enjoyment, the ice cubes are ruining your beloved drink? You see, I totally understand the frustration that one can get when you just simply love to drink the wine chilled but yet you do still want to capture the beautiful essence in that glass of wine. Here's something you might like to try!

Try putting some frozen grapes into your glass of white wine. Hmm, you're probably thinking why not red wine. Well, if you prefer it that way, grant yourself the wish according to your desires but just some knowledge might help to explain here. The norm for serving wines have been such that white wine is to be served chilled while the red wine is to be served at room temperature. However, this is usually used as just a starting point of reference. This is because while it is easy to understand when we say white wine should be served chilled, the serving of red wine shouldn't really be taken from the exact definition of room temperature. In fact, the ideal serving temperature for many fine red wines is perhaps 14ºC to 18ºC. So, adding frozen grapes might not be as suitable for red wine. (^^) Guess this should solve your little penny thoughts there!Now let's go back to our chilling tip!

Well, so what's so great about this tip. Firstly, you can finally enjoy your vino without seeing it getting diluted now and this definitely means you will get what you really paid for! Secondly, this frozen grapes are perfectly in theme with your vino and it will surely help beautify that drink you're holding in your hands. Remember appreciating wine is a wonderful thing! It'll be a terrific thing if you do not restrict your indulgence to just your tongue! Besides, a nice presentation is always welcomed! *cheers*

P.S. the above information is gathered from:
- "thewinedoctor.com" on the topic "Wine serving temperature"
- "The Downtown Girl's Guide to Wine" by Megan Buckley and Sheree Bykofsky

The ancient language!

Hungry for wine?Buy it!

You probably can literally vividly see yourself in a wine shop, longing to find a name you find familiar and comfortable for your eyes to accept. But let's face it honestly, deciphering wine labels can be quite a pain, especially when it comes to a lot of traditional wine labels. Ya? All the different producers, wine-sites etc. They really do drive me crazy at times. So you might probably prefer the younger winemaking countries which seriously helps make reading wine labeling a layman stuff now. However, let not the sophisticating labels deter us from our reach to these lovely historic wine, or so it seems to be.

Here's a little guide I found:

See no grape varieties? Oh, maybe you're holding on to a classic French label! Because usually the name of the château takes precedence for traditional Bordeaux label and the grape varieties are not usually mentioned. Why? Well, you'll start to realise if you put in some extra attention and you'll notice that French wines are often labeled by their "Mother-land" i.e the origin of the wine. So for French wines, you might need to put in more effort to know the classic grapes of each region in order to really know what you want to get.

Feel yourself entering the world of the past as you are welcomed by the gothic script on traditional German wine label. Grape varieties do appear here. You'll probably find it all worthwhile to indulge in the historic appearance that these labels bring to you because despite the old-fashioned look, its inner beauty often brings new excitement and love to you.

After much cluttering appearing before your eyes, say "Hi" to a clearly much neater and simpler label that is usually from a newer winemaking country. Just a few words is all it takes to deliver its message across to you. Its brand, its grape, its vintage, and its region. Walla, you are ready to choose and go with this clear labeling!

However, while we know the newer wine-producing countries are countries such as Australia and Chile, having a clear and simple labeled bottle of wine in your hands today no longer guarantee that it is from these countries anymore. This is because some of the European, German and French wines are also adopting more modern style labels. So do see the labels clearly before your purchase! Additionally, French wines are also not the only ones that do not show the grape variety in the labels. Italian wines or rather the great classics of Tuscany and Piedmont do not label their wines by grape variety as well. And as for French wines, note the exception of Alsace because winemakers of this region do state the grape varieties on the label.

Other information that you can usually find on the bottle would be the alcohol level, the volume of the liquid, the country of origin as well as the producer. But understand that the way that a bottle of wine is introduced is probably never really fixed. Some just love to give you a more scenic kind of explanation about the origin while others do not.

I hope this short journey has made you regain your confidence in stepping into the wine shop once again. Now that you're more sure about what you can expect from the thousands of bottles lying in the wine shop, may we succeed in conquering the ancient language that once seems so far from reach to us. =)

P.S. The above information is gathered from :
- "International wine guide" by Susy Atkins

A recommendation to make..=)

Here's a recommendation i would like to make to those of you who love smooth tasting wine...something that is suitable for leisure drinking or even with your meals. I personally love this wine because i love the feeling of how it blends with my taste buds. The touch it gives is so smoothing that the first sip makes me long for more. And if you're concerned that the smoothing touch is not gonna excite your taste buds enough, not to worry because this Bordeaux is also rich in taste as well, thus giving a lovely combination. I hope you guys will love this recommendation =) The details are as follows:

Classic Chateaux Wines - Red Bordeaux Wine
2004
BORDEAUX SUPERIEUR
Appellation Bordeaux Superieur Controlee

Selected by CAMUS
Product of France

The secrets that lie beneath…

Do you believe in us having the ability to influence each other? Have you ever wondered how you, your very sole presence, could have impacted someone or something else somewhere in this universe? The breath you take (that help contribute more carbon dioxide for the green), the footsteps you leave behind (that might be of help to someone who lost their way), or perhaps even your smile and laughter (that can make the one who love u smile with you too).

You must be wondering at this instant, what has all this got to do with wine? I thought and I suggest you could place it aside for awhile. That is, place what I’ve just said for the past minute away for awhile while I prompt a thought in you.

You’ve probably read books on wine, or even talk to some experts while you do wine test. And you might have come across descriptive words like “spice”, “fruity”, “chocolate” or even “wet dog” while they are trying to describe the taste to you. At this moment, a sneaking suspicion might have crept into you as you wonder if you’re drinking sweats of a wet dog, or some you-don’t-know kind of strange stuff. So, an embarrassing question many of us might be wondering secretly in the inside of us would be if the wine-makers actually do add in fruits or wet dog into the wine in order to achieve these aromas in it. Well, heave a sign of relief now will you, because NO they do not add any of these things in.

So, where do all the aromas come about?

Well, this is when I would like to invite you to pull back the first paragraph that I’ve earlier on suggest you to place aside. As much as we influence each other in our very unique ways, the terroir (i.e. the environment) influences the wine through the grapes that grow on it. The surrounding environment plays a major part in creating the unique mixture of aromas that you smell in each individual wine bottle. The air, the water, the soil and even any other nearby elements could be a contributing factor. Thus, if the grapes are grown in an area that has lavender scent infused in the air, you just might be able to then sense some lavender smell that has been imprinted on the grapes.

So having gained some knowledge on how the cultivation environment actually “communicates” with the grapes, here’s a brief list of possible “consequences” that might spark off from this interaction. They are as follows:

Floral, Fruity, Spice, Earthy, Animal (yes I know this doesn’t sound delicious), and Herbaceous.

Oh, and seriously don’t be shy or feel silly to turn away if you actually come across wine with an off-putting smell. It does occur and it can be so bad that it might smell like a dead rat. This sure kills all appetite right? Well several reasons can be the cause of this bad smell in the wine. It could be a bad cork or just some errors in the wine-making process, for example like storing the wine in the wrong temperature etc. So, do feel free to take it back to the shop for a new bottle. This goes the same should you be at a restaurant. You definitely wouldn’t want to match your meal with a wine that smells badly ya?

But other then this, the likes and dislikes really is a very subjective issue. So do allow yourself some time to find the taste that suits you best. Remember, wine is all about appreciation if you really want to enjoy the fullest. Therefore, do bring along some patience because your patience will let you allow yourself to be influenced. *cheers*

P.S. The above information is gathered from:
- ‘The Downtown Girl’s Guide to Wine” by Megan Buckley and Sheree Bykofsky

Learn to understand its inner hidden beauty!

Step into a beautiful restaurant, stop for a moment to enjoy the tinkling of the music notes upon your ears. Drift with the ambience and be elegantly seated. You could be there alone, or you could be there with a significant other, but no matter what the circumstances may be, you probably think in your heart like I do now - This is not a night to be missed so easily.

The menu is here. But please do not just focus on the main dish of the night though that's supposed to be the star of the night - the reason you are most probably there for. Here's why. Imagine a night, so magically drawn and made before you. You may have gone through a tiring day at work. Right before you is a chance to reward yourself. And no, just a main dish can never make you enjoy the time with your loved one. How much can you possibly talk and share your day when your mouth is busy munching? Or how romantic can it get when you talk with your mouth that is so full of the smell of garlic and sauces that you just swallowed? And have you no time at all to stay a while more after the main to relax with the tunes?

Are you able to sense what is lacking here? With no doubts, the answer is revealed. Yes, a bottle of wine, or even just a glass is the complementing element of the night.

While your senses are probably awaken and enticed by the wonderful atmosphere surrounding you, please don't neglect them so soon. Engage your senses with wine. Well, except maybe for the hearing sense. Here's how:

Look at the wine. For just the appearance of the wine alone can tell much about the sort of style you can likely expect. Next, just like how you probably see a thousand times how people use to swirl their glasses , yes you may do it. This is to help aerate and release the aroma of the wine. And no, you don't need a bull's strength to do this. A simple way would be to just place your glass on the table, and sliding the stem of the glass between your index and middle fingers, press down on the base of the glass and slide it gently from side to side. Then invite your nose to the test and sniff the aroma released. What do you smell? Spices? Chocolates? (I'll touch on the different aromas released and how these smell come about in probably the next post..stay tuned) Spend a good 60 seconds to appreciate. Don't worry about the waiter who might be standing beside you to wait for a nod from you while you test. Take your time. Ultimately, you are going to be the one drinking that bottle of wine for the night.

Now, take a sip (yes a sip and never a gulp). Swoosh the wine around your mouth to release and bring out the flavor of the wine to its fullest. Notice the taste and texture that is now occupying your tastebuds. And then for a finish, while some do this, you may choose not to do it too. What the "finish" consist is actually spitting out the wine. And the reason professional testers do this is to save their sobriety. Note that this doesn't then mark the end of the assessment. Texture of the wine can also be assessed right after the wine is spat out. Any tinge of lingering flavor can help determine if you love it or not. Certain unusual nuances also often come through more during the finish. So enjoy the whole process for this may be seen as the first touch of love towards the wine by your precious senses!

Savour the taste of your dish with the aromatic taste of your carefully picked wine. Be prepared to fill your tastebuds with the warming touch of balance between your food and wine. Spend the night toasting to a greater tomorrow with your loved ones after the main and build your love in the midst of romance.

And here I toast to you my readers for we have now equipped ourselves with more understanding on how, through the revealing of the hidden inner beauty of wine, we can appreciate the next dinner that is blessed upon us in the coming evening better.

P.S The above information have been gathered from :
- "The Downtown Girl's Guide to Wine" by Megan Buckley and Sheree Bykofsky
- "International Wine Guide" by Susy Atkins
(These 2 books are my newly borrowed books. Looking forward to sharing more with you guys. Hope you'll like it.=) )

It made me love!

Don’t ask me about the past.
For yesterday is too heavy to think.
I carry myself through the pathway to my cosy fireplace.
With the rain splattering the window and with my heart tearing out of burden,
I no longer know who I can lean on.
The house is empty
For I have only the rain drops and burning wood to accompany me.
My heart feels cold and my mind is tired
Would the world know about my loneliness?

I stand up and walk towards the window,
With only my glass of red wine that never fails to warm me.
Rain drops trickle,
Making me wonder if the coldness will take away my will to love.

Then came the warmth that revived my dead emotions.
A sip I take in that very moment,
When I don’t know what I can give anymore,
Is enough to warm my inner soul,
And because of this warmth I feel,
I will continue to live.

I once lost the heat running in me,
But its embrace within me is the reason…

That made me love again!

The façade of the life of wine

Escape from the cloud and mist of the city, hide in the room of muskiness and drown your sorrows, as you worry about the sun rising tomorrow. You wish and hope that the alcohol in the wine will numb your tongue and numb your senses. You drink as if you are enjoying but you tear and drip drops of blood in the inner self of yours. Alone you sit, and you no longer remember how it feels like to savour the smooth taste of a glass of harmonic wine that once made you so peaceful.

Do you long for it? Do you still long to regain the warmth and comfort that the glass of red wine always promises you? If you do, please allow yourself to depart from the city of stress, but not with a longing to glurp and be drunk. But i urge you to depart from the city of unease and search for peace and a refreshing of the mind once you hold "her" in your embrace.

Yes you may feel burdened from work, but why not take a minute to choose the love of the night you would wish to have for company tonight? Assess her colour, her clarity, and her subtleness. Swirl her to release her mysterious aromas, and please do allow her to take your burdened mind away with the swirls. Listen to the waves and close your eyes as you bring her closer. Do you not see behind your closed eyelids, how gentle the drops of wine are dancing in the wavy movements? Awake your taste buds that can no longer wait by now. You finally take a sip but please do not let her pass you by just like that. Feel the swoosh in you mouth and you will realise how she feels for you. "She" may love you with sweetness of fruits or hate you so much out of love that she makes your gums and teeth dry or furry with tannin. Appreciate her nevertheless, for every one of them are unique in "herself".

And as my topic goes, wine has got many façades. It is really worth while to pay a little more attention to them. Gushing them down your throat is never a good way to appreciate them. Sip and savour. You may not love it the first time, but if you are patient enough to taste it one more time, you may start to discover the deeper roots of the vine that it once belonged to, something that you just might fall so in love with.