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Wine, like woman, has a tag or intrigue and mystique associated with it. Wine has the power to seduce and engage wine drinkers by permitting you to peer within, yet keeping itself aloof and a little out of reach.

The bouquet of complex aromas, the rich colors, the soils and climates of where the grapes are grown all contribute to the nuances associated with wine. The well know traditional rituals of wine tasting such as swirling and smelling the wine, and all things associated to it has helped wine cultivate a rich vocabulary and the very many nuances contribute to this mystique.

And it has engaged the attention levels of the occasional drinker as much as it has involved the serious and professional wine maker. Even though wine is found in mall shelves good wine has always kept this veil of mystique intact.

And every well known wine label has deliberately contributed to this mystique by highlighting these nuances, and pertinently teasing our senses. The global wine drinking population is increasing day by day primarily owing to it being marketed as a health promoting natural beverage, when consumed in appropriate quantities.

It is a documented fact that wine drinkers have the highest levels of protective antioxidants in their blood and that both dietary levels and blood serum levels of antioxidants are linked to cardio-vascular function. Unlike alcohol, wine is removed from the guilt which accompanies conspicuous consumption. Wine is the new-age drink of the masses which is cool with mild intoxication and comes without any of the guilt associated to drinking.

Till recently, Champagne is the only alcoholic beverage you can drink for breakfast and risk not to be stared down by those at the table as it contains less than 20% of alcohol in content. Having said that, in the Cognac region of France, a farmer’s daily breakfast usually starts with cognac mixed in glass of orange juice and their neighbors, the Italians, fire up their morning espresso with a little grappa. So why shouldn’t you try to integrate wine into your breakfast menu, at least for the weekends? The old rules of pairing reds with beef, whites with fish and poultry still has merits though the habit in practice is a falling fast behind.

Wine is the new drink for any time, table and occasion. Moving ahead with time, wine bottles too have come far from the traditional way of corking and uncorking the bottle, corks are being replaced with screw caps which would spare you from the spate of search for a corkscrew.

Even though buying a bottle of wine from the beverage counter is as easy as buying anything else, some do not enjoy it as much as buying their own fruits and fermenting their own wine at home before bringing it to the table to be shared. Home wine making is deceptively simple process, for the first timer as much as it is for the experienced wine maker.

All it takes is putting together either fruit or a concentrate and adding up a few other ingredients into an air tight container and leaving it to Mother Nature to work upon. Proper proportion, an environment that aids healthy fermentation and timely stage-wise checking is all that need to be done to make your batch of home made wine.

Good Wine Advice brings you all that is good in wines. Their site offers you some great information about wine and cheese ,wine clubs and wine information, from growing regions to the latest in how to store and where to store.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/wines-and-spirits-articles/aged-old-wine-story-in-a-21st-century-new-age-bottle-1644225.html

Wine has been around for millennia, but not the corkscrew. In early days, wine was stored in earthenware vessels or in wooden barrels.

It was just a few hundred years ago that wine began to be stored in corked bottles. However, even before that, a variety of other substances were stored in a bottle with a cork, and therefore required an implement to pull the cork out.

So, where did the first corkscrew come from, and who was its inventor?  Well, we don’t really have a clear answer to that, but here is what Ron McLean, a corkscrew historian—who knew there was such a thing!—with the Virtual Corkscrew Museum has to say,

“It is unknown when and who made the first corkscrew. The first corkscrews were derived from a gun worme, a tool with a single or double spiral end fitting used to clean musket barrels or to extract an unspent charge from the barrel. By the early 17th century corkscrews for removing corks were made by blacksmiths as using a cork to stopper a bottle was well established.”

McLean’s research also lists five patents, filed in England, France, Untied States, Germany and Canada, in that order, from 1795 to 1883.

It’s interesting to note that the style of manual corkscrews hasn’t really changed much since those early days.  When the lever style corkscrew became popular in the recent past, many thought, “ooh, what an original idea.”  Many thought wrong.  The lever, or winged style wine bottle opener, has actually been around since the late eighteen hundreds and the newer designs are based on that.

Of course, today in the twenty first century, we like our gadgets and gismos.  If there’s a way to automate a day to day task, we’re all for it.  So the electric wine bottle opener is now a common thing.  Oh, you likely won’t see the sommelier at your favorite restaurant using one to open that fine cabernet or merlot  you ordered, but many a household use them and love them for the ease of extracting a cork from a bottle.  For those who find using an old style corkscrew next to impossible, or are just tired of picking crumbled cork out of their wine, investing in an electric model may be the right choice.

And if those YouTube videos you stumble across are to be believed, you can also use a phone book or the trunk of a tree to open a bottle of wine if you’ve lost your corkscrew somewhere! 

So, however today’s corkscrew came to be available, we have a variety of different styles to choose from. From the very simple screw on a handle to much more sophisticated models.

And once you get the cork out of the bottle, please drink responsibly!

You can follow me at Wine Bottle Opener, where I document and review a variety of different corkscrews and share info about wine in general.

Elle Greene

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/wines-and-spirits-articles/wine-bottle-openers-corkscrews-a-little-history-1640898.html

When shopping for wine storage racks you will find that there is a vast selection of different styles. Wine rack styles will range from traditional to contemporary and suitable for almost any home decor. Most important, in addition to being stylish and decorative, wine racks functional purpose is to keep bottles on their side or upside down to keep the corks moist and the wine fresh.

You will also find out that they will be made out of several different types of materials. Many racks will be made out of rich hardwoods such as oak, redwood mahogany, while some may be made from wrought iron, chrome and even acrylic. Here are a few tips to consider when looking for unique racks that will provide both function and style.

Decorative wine storage racks are available in several styles. There are single bottle wine racks, which is a great way to display your best bottle of wine. Floor standing racks, which can be added to your existing living area, are designed to enhance your home’s decor and create a warm space. They can be very stylish and range anywhere from full size cabinets to simple carts. This provides a great solution storing several bottles of your favorite wines, serving needs and storing other wine accessories.

If space is a problem consider a table top rack which is a great way of displaying and storing a few bottles of your favorite vino. Also hanging or wall mounted racks are a good solution if space is an issue, and some of these style racks have the capability of storing and displaying your stemware.

If you are thinking about growing your wine collection then you might want to consider a rack system that is capable of being expanded. There are many stackable wine racks, which will allow you to expand your storage capability and grow your wine collections as you see fit. This type of wine storage solution is extremely versatile in that it allows you to build your own personal custom wine cellar for the home.

There is a great variety of wine storage racks and systems available, they range in many different sizes which will meet, just about any wine enthusiasts budget and wine storage needs.

Discover were to find unique wine storage racks and other wine storage furniture for home or business and for more information about wine storage furniture and systems visit http://wine-storage.resourcesandinfo.net

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/wines-and-spirits-articles/wine-storage-racks-how-to-choose-the-best-wine-bottle-storage-racks-1516627.html

Buying food and drink online may seem a little crazy; in fact some people do their entire weekly food shopping online. But there are some items that buying online can actually be much better than buying at the supermarket, items such as wine which can be difficult to purchase to the novice wine drinker. Wine has often been thought of as a drink that needs to be drank in the right context and serve as the right accompaniment to a meal.

Knowing all the right combinations and places to go to get wine can be confusing and so it would ideally be helpful if we could get a bit more information when presented with an entire aisle in the supermarket of hundreds of different wines. Buying online could help get more information as well as a few other important benefits.

Firstly when buying online you are guaranteed a genuine original wine and reviews and recommendations will flag up any potential scam websites or sites with bad service so you’ll be able to easily find out which sites are genuine. Before buying from any online merchant have a search online to see if anyone had any problems with that site, if the site has recommendations from wine experts then you’re likely to be safe buying from them.

Wine experts are useful in other ways as some review wines on particular sites and provide helpful advice and tips on what wine goes with what food as well as what wines to avoid. Some wine retailers even have online communities, podcasts and forums in which people review the wines they’ve had recently which can serve as a good indicator as to what is worth getting and people’s recommendations.

Buying wine online isn’t just about getting reviews too, most supermarkets and local off licenses will tend to stock what is popular in their store, something that can limit the range of wines available, especially the more expensive or exclusive wines. On the internet you can buy a much wider range of wines as well as being able to import wines that are not available in your country. An exclusive bottle of wine direct from the source is a perfect gift for wine lovers and ensures you get a truly unique drinking experience that store bought wines cannot match.

So whether you are buying wine for the first time or fancy something new and exciting then try buying online to see a world of variety to choose from.

You canbuy discount wine online as well as buy discount beer online that can help save you money and get them delivered to your door.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/wines-and-spirits-articles/why-your-next-bottle-of-wine-should-be-bought-online-1503951.html

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The sizes and styles of wine bottle cooler that are made is tremendous. An individual will find coolers that are very small and will only hold a few bottles of wine. Or, one may see huge coolers that are slightly smaller than a wine cellar. Deciding what size and style of cooler will be most appropriate for the individual wine collector can be a challenge.

An individual who consistently collects wines and has several bottles in different locations throughout their home will want a large, permanent cooler that will hold up to a hundred bottle of wine. These coolers are usually placed in a basement or other location away from the interior of the home because of their massive size.

The wine bottle cooler should be able to accommodate twice the number of bottles of wine that are placed in it. In order to get the proper air flow around the bottles one will want to place the bottles farther apart than many wine coolers allow. A bottle cooler that is made with space that is less than a half inch between each bottle will not allow air to flow as well as when the bottles are over one inch apart.

Bottle coolers are available in a wide range of prices and styles. Some coolers are made with finishes that look like cabinets. This coolers make handsome additions to a room where entertaining is done. It is always wise to have two coolers if a person has collectible wines and drinking wines.

Keeping the wines in separate wine bottle coolers will assure that the collectible wine is not opened inadvertently during a party or event. It will also be in a cooler that is not opened as often as the drinking wine cooler so will not be exposed to any changes of temperature.

A wine bottle cooler will fill very quickly once it is in a home. One will want to buy a cooler that has the capacity for holding at least twice the number of bottles that one currently has. In this way there will be enough room in the cooler for additional bottles throughout the year.

Before choosing a wine bottle cooler, do some research. A thermoelectric wine cooler would be great as it has a lot of features.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/wines-and-spirits-articles/how-to-choose-the-right-wine-bottle-cooler-1439263.html

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What on earth do you need a wine bottle refrigerator for? There you go.  You’ve just posed a modern-day question which can be answered by proven wine-making traditions many centuries old.

The most authentic of all family-owned wine cellars have always been underground or at least built below the earth. Stored and cooled in this dark and cool environment, bottled wine was allowed to naturally mature and age. These products carried the seal of excellent wine manufactured from generation to generation.

Nowadays, a modern homeowner can hardly afford a wine cellar within their premises. Even as a self-confessed wine lover and connoisseur, you hardly have the location or the space within your house for such a luxury. This is the very reason why all the benefits and luxuries of an authentic wine cellar are being brought into your living space by means of an attractive wine bottle refrigerator. It is designed to complement your interior décor and suit your lifestyle.  

Other than this, we can give you three simple reasons why you need a wine bottle refrigerator. It’s cool, sophisticated, and practical!

It’s cool to have around the house.  You can serve and enjoy red wine at room temperature and white wine chilled on any occasion from the very comforts of your home. It simulates the cool environment of a wine cellar, all in a package which is compact yet finely crafted.

When it comes to sophistication, the most stylish of wine bottle refrigerators come in all sizes and designs. You can stock up on a sufficient supply of wine when you choose a refrigerator of the right storage capacity.   

It’s practical and affordable. The more it serves its wine chilling purpose, the more it becomes cost-effective to the household. You do not lose fine wine to frequently-encountered problems like exposure to light, air, and humidity.

Exposure to sunlight can damage wine by changing the way it naturally ages, while exposure to humid air and oxygen ends up spoiling it. You need good air circulation to keep wine bottles free from mold, mildew, and odor.  The temperature and humidity controls of this special refrigerator are just perfect!

Different kinds of wine have to be stored at different ideal temperatures, and your home environment is just not suited enough to store them well. When wine bottles are kept at high temperatures, they age much too fast and lose their freshness and quality. However, when assorted wines are kept in a wine bottle refrigerator, expect them to be aged and chilled to perfection!

Are you serious about your wine? Then a wine bottle refrigerator could be an excellent idea. Find out more on my wine cooler page and learn which cooler would be best for your situation.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/wines-and-spirits-articles/why-you-need-a-wine-bottle-refrigerator-1411961.html

Many novice smokers have embarrassed themselves trying to smoke a cigar with the same frantic, huff-and-puff energy that goes into cigarette smoking. But cigars aren’t cigarettes, any more than cheap beer is fine wine, and just as you’d never guzzle a fine Cabernet Sauvignon, you shouldn’t just inhale a cigar.

The first question to consider is, of course, the quality of the cigar. Handmade cigars are generally considered best. Machine-rolled cigars use scraps and bits of tobacco, rolled together, while handmade cigars use entire leaves, blended with specially-picked filler leaves to create a rich, full, subtle taste. Otherwise, remember the “wrapper rule”: cigars wrapped in darker paper will tend to be sweeter, while lighter wrappers often denote a drier taste.

The second question for many cigar smokers is whether to smoke with the band on or off. The bands, which wrap around the cigar and give the cigar’s brand name or manufacturer, was first introduced in 1850 by manufacturer Gustave Bock to set his high-quality Havana handmade cigars apart from knockoff brands. If you’re smoking in the UK, where smoking with the band on has long been considered gauche, a form of bragging, you’ll want to remove the band. Some smokers also collect bands, as a way of remembering all the different experiences they’ve had with cigars. Otherwise, it’s up to you.

The next step is to cut the cap of the cigar, which must be removed so that air can flow through. Most cigar fans have small guillotines, which cut right across the top of the cigar. (You can usually purchase one from the same place where you buy your cigars – or bum one from a friend.) Some smokers still bite off the top of cigars, an unappetizing and possibly unhealthy alternative. Cigar “punches” and “piercers” (or V-cutters) are also available. Choose the method that’s best for you, and keep your cutter sharpened.

How to light? Steer clear of paper matches, which will only stay live long enough to light a small portion of the cigar. You need a full flame that will cover the entire head of the cigar. Wooden matches may work, though it’s recommended that you let the sulphur burn off the tip of the match before lighting.

Butane lighters are free of odor and taste and are the favorite method for many smokers, as are “torch” lighters. Whatever you prefer, make sure you turn the cigar as you light it (“turn and burn,” experienced smokers say), so that the entire cigar is lit. Some aficiandos believe it’s a bad idea to let the flame touch the cigar and prefer to use a lit cedar strip, but many American smokers argue that this is just a bit of unnecessary European pretension.

Inhaling the smoke is unnecessary and dangerous. Once again, cigars are not cigarettes. You pull the smoke into your mouth and, like a wine taster, allow its flavor to saturate your palate, without allowing the smoke into your lungs. For this reason, cigar smoking is more taste-oriented and less harmful to your health than cigarette-smoking.

The taste of the smoke varies depending on the tobacco type and the sorts of flavors added by the makers, as well as the age of the cigar, the conditions in which it’s been stored, and many other factors. Regardless, the taste is richer, fuller and subtler than that of cigarettes, and many people who don’t enjoy cigarette-smoking have found that they like the taste or odor of cigars.

The cigar can be stopped from burning and “finished” later, though its taste quality quickly declines (like that of an open bottle of wine) the longer it’s left half-smoked. It’s a better idea to wait until you have time to fully savor the taste, beginning to end.

As for the aftertaste, try a drink containing citric acid (such as orange juice or lemon-flavored liqueurs), followed by a hard cheese and, eventually, a good tooth-brushing. (You’d be brushing your teeth anyway, right?) After-dinner mints can help, too.

Most of all, remember what worked this time. Cigar smoking – again, like wine – is a pleasure that should improve with age.

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Dubai has a fantastic assortment of international-standard restaurants catering to all budgets and tastes. With a large expatriate community from the Sub Continent, it’s little wonder there are some truly world-class Indian restaurants among the top-billings.

As Dubai is a Muslim city, many restaurants, especially at the cheaper end of the market, are not licensed to serve alcohol. In contrast, restaurants in tourist and business hotels almost always serve alcohol.

The restaurants below have been classified into three pricing categories:
Expensive (over Dh500)
Moderate (Dh150 to Dh500)
Cheap (under Dh150)
These prices are for a three-course meal for one with a bottle of house wine or equivalent, including tax.

Sales tax at 10% is added to all bills. Service charges at 10 to 15% are also frequently added but, if they are not, a 10% tip is expected.
Expensive
Al Mahara
Making a fair stab at being the most expensive restaurant in Dubai, the Al Mahara often divides local opinion. Some say it is overpriced for what you get, but others swear by it, especially if someone else is paying. The experience begins with a three-minute mock submarine ride to the restaurant, located alongside a giant aquarium. This puts diners in the mood for savouring the high-quality seafood that has won the restaurant numerous awards, including the What’s On category for Best Seafood Restaurant in 2008.

Burj Al Arab Hotel, Jumeirah Beach
Tel: (04) 301 7600.
Website: www.burj-al-arab.com
Al Muntaha
Al Muntaha, meaning ‘The Ultimate’ or ‘The Top’, in Arabic, has the best location in Dubai, suspended 200m (656ft) above the Arabian Gulf, at the top of the Burj Al Arab hotel. Service is immaculate and the slanted glass windows give the restaurant the feel of a great ocean liner heading out to sea. Al Muntaha also delivers on the plate: try the roasted prime beef rib with mustard crust. Reaching the restaurant in one of the world’s fastest panoramic elevators is almost – but not quite – enough to put you off your dinner.

Burj Al Arab Hotel, Jumeirah Beach
Tel: (04) 301 7600.
Website: www.burj-al-arab.com
La Baie
This fine dining restaurant would not be out of place in a major European capital, with its mellow piano music, unfaltering service and elegant table settings. One of the most exotic starters is the marinated sturgeon carpaccio with caviar and yoghurt sauce, while a highlight among the mains (and rumoured to be the chef’s favourite) is the grilled hammour fish on a bed of green lentils.

Ritz Carlton Dubai, Jumeirah Beach
Tel: (04) 399 4000.
Website: www.ritzcarlton.com
Verre
Gordon Ramsay’s Dubai venture has proved a resounding success and is firmly established as the best place to eat in Dubai. The minimalist décor might not suit all tastes but the simple surrounds and the well thought-out lighting help focus deserved attention on the food. A nice touch is the chef’s specialities – tasty morsels of food that come between the impressive courses. Mains include ravioli of lobster, salmon with a fricassee of peas and horseradish or poached chicken on a bed of tagliatelle. The desserts are divine. The three-course lunch specials offer excellent value.

Hilton Dubai Creek, Beniyas Road
Tel: (04) 212 7551.
Website: www.gordonramsay.com/dubai
Moderate
Café Chic
Top quality ingredients, smooth service and a menu that cuts deftly between the classics and some daring variations make this is a top dining choice. Relax afterwards in the cigar bar for supreme decadence.

Le Méridien Hotel, Garhoud
Tel: (04) 217 0000.
Website: www.dubai.lemeridien.com
India Palace
The emphasis at this popular restaurant is on Rajasthani cooking backed up by themed décor and artefacts shipped in from the region. The open kitchen is a nice touch, as are the family booths upstairs, with privacy available at no extra charge. The excellent-value menu features starters such as lentil soup and prawn bisque with fresh vegetables, while mains include chicken and vegetarian kebabs and a range of delicately spiced curries. Alcohol is not available but the lassis (yogurt-based drink) are excellent, especially the unusual lassi seasoned with salt.

Opposite Dubai Marine Hotel, Bur Dubai
Tel: (04) 286 9600.
Pierchic
Seafood-loving trendies are flocking to Pierchic, in the glamorous Madinat Jumeirah development, the place to be in Dubai at the moment. Located on a wooden pier, with views of the expansive Arabian Gulf, the venue is perfect for trying some local and international seafood dishes. Mains include the likes of poached Atlantic lobster with snow peas, enoki mushrooms and passion fruit dressing, or Arabian chilled seafood platter laced with Iranian caviar.

Al Qasr Hotel, Madinat Jumeirah
Tel: (04) 366 6730.
Website: www.madinatjumeirah.com
Cheap
Cactus Jacks
It may never win any culinary awards but Cactus Jacks seldom disappoints a hungry stomach. A Mexican theme for the décor includes Aztec fabrics and bright designs, as well as multicolour tiled pillars. The restaurant has a live DJ at weekends and things can turn quite wild after 2300, when the spicy Tex Mex food and the tequila kick in. Parties of eight diners or more receive a 30% discount on their bill.

Millennium Airport Hotel, Al Garhoud
Tel: (04) 282 3464.
Website: www.millenniumhotels.com
Deira City Centre Food Court
Of the many food courts that are dotted all around Dubai, this is one of the most popular. On sale is the full smorgasbord of international foods, with the only unifying feature being that all the stands are cheap. The most popular stands serve up simple Chinese and Indian specialities accompanied by boiled rice. They also have a play area for kids.

Deira City Centre Mall, Deira
Tel: (04) 295 1010.
Thattukada
The excellent South Indian restaurant at the Palm Beach Rotana Inn serves great-value food. Diners sit on long, wooden benches and are surrounded by film posters on the walls. The Kerala-influenced dishes include kappa erachi (tapioca and chicken curry) and karimeem porichathu (fish fry) and are guaranteed to fill diners up without breaking the bank.

Palm Beach Rotana Inn
Tel: (04) 393 1999.

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Alex from CigarBunch.com show cases the 28 count wine cooler turned into cigar humidor. www.cigarbunch.com

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