Vino-Lok!

Well, you hear about and know about corks long time ago. And you've probably noticed screw caps being used increasingly, but here something else that is worth knowing as well!!Real cool stuff...with no worries about cork contamination or any possible rusting of screw caps...because the vino-loks are a great alternative created!

Here's a video for your pleasure viewing...(sorry if it needs some time to load)
This video will introduce 3 wines, out of which one of them uses a vino-lok! Quite a little bit of introduction going on for the wines...but nevertheless hope you guys enjoy it! =)



For a closer view and introduction for Vino-Lok, here's another link you can visit!
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1076670060/bctid1076620534

Cheers to Vino-Lok! Guess it's gonna be my new love (Ya I know this isn't like the latest stuff coz it's probably around since 2006 or slightly earlier...but hey loving great stuff is never too late!) So love it! *laughs*

P.S The above information is obtained from the following:
- "Wine Week Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdxNHDMDk6M"
- "Photo - urbandishseattle.com"

simply French white...

A simple restaurant, with a simple him, with simply delicious dishes, and with a simple French wine is all that I need to end my stressful day yesterday. And you might be able to imagine the kind of relief and hair-let-down emotion I feel when the combination of some wonderful Lobster and crab stuffed mushroom covered with cheese, coupled with a glass of French white wine took control of my mind. I was no longer thinking of work anymore. Yes, nothing beats having some wine after a stressful day. It just flushes my worries and burden away...Swoosh...

Oh, and not allowing myself to be overly engrossed with the powerful sense of relaxation I felt last night (though I seriously would love to go through that moment again), let's go into the topic for tonight. Ahh..yesh some white wine would be lovely.

I particularly love having the company of reds during meals. However, the combination of light dishes with white wine last night really proved itself perfect. Erms... Alright almost perfect. With some seafood in the dish, I thought maybe some medium-bodied white might fit in just right. So I ordered a glass of classic french white from Languedoc. It's actually a Cornerstone wine. And just for some additional information, Cornerstone wines are actually conceived by Clinton Ang at the age of 28, this allowing him to be the first Singaporean to enter into joint ventures with vineyard owners in France. Through this, he also tried making and blending his own style of wines, challenging mindsets and tradition! Woohoo...3 cheers to his courage and terrific move!

Hmmmmmm and so now comes the details of how the wine taste like. Right there sitting in that glass captures the aromas of green apples and lime. The texture is rather smooth, and the aftertaste is indeed refreshing. As I coupled it along with the light mushroom seafood dish, I would say the combination isn't bad at all. The wine is not too weak and neither is the dish. None is too over-powering as well. Served chilled, the wine also gives a tinge of added freshness to my palate, and this helps me even after I completed the dish as it prevents me from feeling too sick or filling from the meal.

Oh and sorry folks, no pics for this wine recommendation this time round coz yup was in a restaurant. I would seriously loved to take some pics to post it here but well... here's some information about it in case you wanna give it a try.

CornerStone
Classic French White
Languedoc, France
Wine best for Asian dish
12% ALC/VOL
Best served at around 8 degrees.

Hope you guys like this recommendation. On an added note, this white might not be a real fantastic one, but if you just want something for casual drinking during meals, to round up it's quite a nice and smoothing one...So I gathered it's still worth some recommendation! *cheers* =)

P.S Some information used above is gathered from:
- "http://www.cornerstonewines.com/cs_wines.htm" on information for CornerStone wines
- "http://www.xotravelconsultants.com/images/white-wine.jpg" for the picture used

Spot that wine fault!!!

A beautiful evening awaits, with a wonderful dinner presented, together with an important person you've always wanted to spend your time with. Oh, what a night of romance and perfection. You surely wouldn't want to see anything go wrong. Dinner starts with your ordering of the mouth-watering dishes and of course some wine to go with. Order's taken Sir and here comes that elegant wine bottle, and in it is what u've probably been looking forward to with so much anticipation as you long for some allowance and space to drift and indulge your soul in. You are then approached by the sommelier, whom might have triggered some intimidating effects upon you. As the wine is poured and presented before you, you take over politely and take a sip and hurry through the process of wine tasting. Never mind about the exact technicalities and precision that you might have missed out when tasting that wine you've ordered and will pay for, though the whole process should be taken with much effort and care. But what's the worst thing that can happen and I believe is actually happening for many people out there is this. You are served a faulty wine in a restaurant, and in your fear for any embarassment, you decide to just convince your tastebuds that this is just a new creation that doesn't taste that good and that you will not order it the next time round. And then for the rest of the night, you torture not just your tastebuds but also that beautiful partner beside you. Sounds sad doesn't it? While lets learn a little about faulty wines and forbid such disaster to ever happen shall we?


Well, not just in restaurants, but if u are actually shopping in a wine shop and it turns out to be faulty, do not hesitate or feel bad about having to ask for a new bottle as the restaurant or the merchant will be able to get themselves reimbursement from the winemakers or importers. And you know the beautiful thing is that when u do that, you're actually contributing much to helping the winemaker to monitor any faulty wines and try to eliminate the problem!


Alright after some effort to convince you that asking for an exchange is not that bad or embarassing a thing, let's go into some pointers that you can look out for in faulty wines. Apart from the 2 naturally occurring substances, this being the sediments in red wines and tartrate crystals in whites, which actually are indicators of confident winemaking and are actually positively attractive, anything else is likely to be questionable. A permanent haze or cloudiness in the wine probably means that there's a bacterial problem in the wine, with yeast usually still present. And while it will not necessarily cause you harm, but it is indeed a genuine fault and is surely not how the winemaker has intended it to be brought before you. So bring it back right now and "savour" it no more. As for bubbles in still wine , it may or may not be a problem. A little squirt of carbon dioxide may be given in whites to give them a lift to aid them in retaining the freshness of the style. These spritz will disappear shortly after serving and need not be much of a concern. However, still wines might at times be unintentionally bottled with yeast still active in the wine and this will then cause that "still wine" to be actively fizzy! This is surely the time to raise your concern as this is not about treating the frizzy wine as Champagne but rather you know this is more about drinking wine with unwanted fermentation should you decide to just go ahead with it. *yucks*


Nosing can be a great way to help detect faults as well. Any vinegary or strong sulphur smells can be off putting and point to bacteriological or winemaking cockups. You should also look out for sherry-like smell which can indicate oxidation, or even mouldy smells that could indicate dirty wooden barrels, bacterial spoilage or just plain unhygienic winemaking. However, at times some wines might not be obviously faulty but are just having some bottle stink . These wine just need some time allowance to breathe, or better still, to decant in order to give these slightly musty wine a much needed kiss of life. Lastly, a corked wine is a result of a contaminated cork affecting the taste of wine and this problem is usually not reversible. So an easy way to prevent this would be to go for screwcaps and woooo~ you get rid of that corky problem out from your wine.


So in a nut shell, while the pointers mentioned here are definitely not exhaustive, I hope it did helped you understand that not all wines are perfect and well. It definitely isn't an embarassing thing to point out a faulty wine. Besides, what's a few words as compared to a session of real tasty wine indulgence. *cheers*


P.S The above information and content is gathered from the following:
- "The Wine Book - change the way you think about wine" by Matthew Jukes
- Picture taken from http://wines.asuccessformula.com/
- For more information on the wine tasting process in particular, kindly visit my prvious post http://winelov3r.blogspot.com/2007/09/learn-to-understand-its-inner-hidden.html

Hmmm...it's time for some wine spree!!

Ooh...it's paycheck time, or perhaps you just wanna do some shopping to reward yourself after the hard work you had, so how about going on a short wine shoppalicious with me? Here's a humble invite for the day as I bring you through some tips and technical knowledge about wine. So if you would allow me please...

You've probably passed by that wine shop or the wine section in that neighborhood supermarket that you so frequently visit, but only to let your footsteps pass by it insensitively despite the cling of your longing eyes on that bottle of delicious wine. Well, it wouldn't kill if you just stop by to take a look will you? *laughs*

But so happens you do stop by and the craving in you comes rushing into your veins, don't shut your senses off! With some additional tips tagging along your sleeves, you should be quite sure this time round your hands are under control in making a better choice. Here's some helping tips you might find useful, or at least I hope...*blink*

1) Look for wine at sale time. And hey who says sales item are just loads of unwanted stuff? You never know what the Summer sales and New Year sales can bring you. You've probably wanted to widen your wine knowledge so much so often but only to find yourself restricted by the high price tags attached to the precious bottles. These are in fact great opportunities to find uncommercial oddities that can satisfy your hunger for some new wine knowledge!

2) If you happen to find a good quality, cheap wine (be it red or white), and if you can afford it, go on a crazy shopping spree then. And sorry folks, this is definitely not my crazy woman crave for wasting money. Rather, this tip is gonna help save your time and money in the future because you can be assured that you've got yourself some favs and not another bottle of feared disappointment.

3) Yep don't hesitate to ask the wine merchants about the wines if you happen to be buying in a wine shop. Questions like how long does the wine need to breathe. and if the wine needs decanting, as well as what is the temperature that is best for serving the wine are definitely indispensable.

4) Saw a wine that's window displayed that you really love but "Sorry that's the last bottle we have left" says the wine merchant? Don't buy it! In fact, not only should you forbid your desire to get that what-seems-delicious bottle from the window display, you should also do the same thing for those near bright shop lights as they tend not to be in top condition. It's always better to pay and choose for wines in the shade. Afterall, if you're paying for enjoyment, why settle for something that is not going to satisfy you. Agree?

5) Finally, avoid wines that are too ullaged. The ullage is the space between the top of the wine and the bottom of the cork. As a general gauge, in wines of less then ten years old, there should be no more then a 2cm gap. However, if it is greater that that, then there could be a potential leak or the wine could possibly be oxidised.
However, for a more detailed understanding of the ullage and the many different descriptions for the fill level, here's a website I came across that I find rather informative :
http://www.winebid.com/buy_wine/wine_terms/ullage.aspx


Well, so are you ready for some fulfilling wine shoppalicious now? You bet I'm definitely in the mood for one at this instant! Care to join me? Hesitate no more for you're always my honored guest! *booze up time* =)

P.S The above information is gathered and obtained from the following:
- "The Wine Book - Change the way you think about wine" by Matthew Jukes
- "http://www.principedipiemonte.com/eng/food-relax-wine-cellar.php" for the picture used

Not a bad choice at all!!!

Gosh been ages since this blog is last updated. Work is slowly depriving me of my space for wine, but nevertheless, I went against this deprivation last night and am most glad to share it with you guys once again! *prost to that* ...woo~~

Ooohhh icy and yes chill a little with some Icewine from Canada right at this very moment my darlings. If you haven tried Ice wine before, how about giving this upcoming recommendation some consideration?

Carrying the elegance of red wine, this Icewine holds a beautiful balance of slightly sweet red wine with a lychee nose. Not only that, the flavors of strawberries, cherries, honey and butterscotch is sure to make you long for more after the very first sip. Its rosy color adds to your eye's appeal, while its smooth and soft tender touch comforts your taste buds. And do take a moment to enjoy the long gentleness that the finish works on your tongue. A wonderful composition to add to the night indeed.

And to add a little more knowledge here, the Niagara region of Ontario (i.e the place of origin for this recommended Icewine), Canada is currently the most widely respected producer of ice wines. In fact, Canadian Ice wine, properly created, must follow VQA (Vintners Quality Alliance) regulations to ensure a quality product. Key amongst these rules is that the wine must be naturally produced - no artificial freezing allowed. This makes ice wine very difficult to create as grapes must be guarded against too extreme temperatures. And because they are the last grapes on the vines, they must be defended vigorously against birds and other animals.
- extracted from http://www.wineintro.com/types/icewine.html
Definitely not a easy mission don't you agree?

So hesitate no more if you're longing for some tinge of sweetness in a glass of the all time favourite Pinot Noir, because this is surely one I feel all should try. Well at least, both me and my colleague gave this a thumbs up. Here's more details:



Legends Estate Winery
Ice Pinot Noir
Canada, Niagara
2004 vintage
11.8% ALC/VOL

Extra Info:
Can be drank at Balaclava bar @ Suntec (This is where I experience it, not too sure if it can be found in supermarkets though. All additional information are warmly welcomed!!)
Price at Balaclava bar - $79

P.S Legends Estates Winery Icewine was also acclaimed "Best Taste" by Wall Street Journal. Hope this gives you slightly more assurance if you're contemplating if you should really give it a go. Wish you guys love my recommendation and if you do happen to try this out someday, share with me if you agree with my humble review. =) Oh, remember to serve it chilled too!

For more details on wines from Legends Estates Winery, here's the link:
http://www.legendsestates.com - Disclaimer: The first picture is obtained from the website.

For more information on Icewine in general, do fell free to refer to my previous post "A toast to sweetness".
*cheers to all*