1) Cape Indaba Sauvignon Blanc 2007 ($6)

This South African white is crisp and refreshing, perfect to “drink on a patio,” says wine connoisseur Andrea Clurfeld, food critic at New Jersey’s Asbury Park Press. She says its citrus and mineral undertones make it suited for shellfish.

2) Bodegas Borsao Campo de Borja Borsao Red 2005 ($7)

Clurfeld, calls this Spanish combination of Grenache and Tempranillo grapes “the single best cheap red wine in the world.” Fruity, but with depth, she says it goes with a wide range of foods and is “good on the tongue.” “I would put this against anything out there,” she says.

3) Real Companhia Velha Porca de Murca 2005 ($7)

This red blend from Portugal consistently sells out at Bottle Shoppe, Cesar Ruiz’s Brooklyn, N.Y. store. “It has a dry cherry taste,” says Ruiz. “It goes great with spicy food and even pizza.”

4) Adega Condes de Albarel Albarino Salneval 2006 ($9)

A warm day? A late lunch? Try this light Spanish white. Mouzouras calls Salneval “perfect for summer.” “It’s clean and crisp with a citrus flavor and nice acidity,” he says.

5) Jadot Beaujolais Villages 2006 ($9)

Even with the euro, this French wine from the Gamay grape remains affordable. Best served slightly chilled, this Beaujolais works well with hors d’oeuvres. “It’s a nice to serve before dinner. It’s fruity and light, but it has a dry finish,” says Ruiz.

6) Monarchia Pinot Gris 2006 ($9)

This Hungarian wine sounds like a punch line, until you try a glass of the full-bodied, dry white. Expect a vibrant finish. “It’s clean and full on the mouth,” says Costas Mouzouras, buyer at Manhattan’s Gotham Wines. He suggests a Caprese salad as the perfect accompaniment.

7) Conde de Jauregui Rioja Crianza 2004 ($10)

This strong Spanish red has “a good fruit front”, says Ruiz. He says customers love its “long finish on the palate” and “vanilla notes.” It is ideal served with beef.

Gascon Don Miguel Malbec 2006 ($10)

Few countries can feel our economic pain better than Argentina, so it makes sense to turn to their wine, especially Malbec, which tastes much richer than the price tag. Mouzouras likes Gascon for its “really rich, velvety and plumy taste.”

9) Miolo Reserva Pinot Noir 2006 ($10)

Bring this Brazilian pinot noir to a party and you’ll feel like Indiana Jones – introducing the masses to an off-the-beaten-path treasure. “This wine took everybody by surprise. It’s really unbelievable,” says Mouzouras. It’s even tastier considering that decent American pinots rarely come in below $15. “And this is way better than decent.”

10) Yalumba Y Series Viognier 2006 ($10)

Australia’s oldest family-owned vineyard produces plenty of acclaimed $100 bottles, but its bargain-basement “Y Series” line, which includes merlot, shiraz, rielsing, chardonnay, and rose, merits attention too. Clurfeld says the best deal is the “gently fruity” Viognier which pairs well with mildly spicy Asian food. “This allows you to become familiar with a great grape without spending a fortune,” she says.

Source: Pennywise Guides

Scrimshaw can also be added to that list — a beer that not only tastes delicious, but looks delicious.

Pilsner, like most light lagers, are difficult beers to make correctly, as their light bodies and lower alcohol content make imperfections stand out more. The style is a true test of the brewer’s art and North Coast has mastered it.

Poured into a tall V-shaped pilsner glass, Scrimshaw has a stream of fine bubbles that continuously cascade from the bottom to the top through the crystal-clear straw liquid, ending with a snow-white head. I held it up to the light for several minutes, admiring its looks and contemplating the craft involved in achieving such perfection.

Subtle hops and strong grain aromas wafted from the glass, hinting at what was to come. Light malt and fresh grain flavors came through in a clean, crisp body. Hop flavor was more noticeable in the aftertaste, along with a slight bitterness and dry finish, which is appropriate for the style.

The main difference author could tell between Scrimshaw and the best European pilsners, such as Pilsner Urquell or Veltins, was a fresher grain presence and less pronounced bitterness. It’s a highly drinkable beer for the hot summer months.

Most of the people really enjoy light lagers, but rarely have them because it is notoriously hard to find good ones in a bottle. A couple of factors are to blame: the lower alcohol content is not conducive to longevity and the beer can start chemically breaking down in a short time due to temperature variations and light. Another is that hops don’t do well after bottling — their aroma and flavor tend to dissipate.

But Scrimshaw’s quality comes through in the bottle and is as good as it gets.

North Coast beers are available in Wisconsin, distributed through Specialty of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

Source: PostCrescent

Beer is a very important part of life for many Germans. Germans have the third largest annual consumption of beer per head in Europe, beaten only by the Czech Republic and Ireland.

There are a vast variety of German beers, some of which are popular worldwide, and inter-brewery competition within Germany is fierce, so the standard is very high.

Despite hundreds of years of innovation though, German beer’s characteristics and flavour have remained relatively unchanged, thanks mainly to the oldest food regulation in the world, Germany’s famous Reinheitsgebot.

According to one survey, 78% of Germans consider going to drink beer their favourite leisure activity, and 79% drink beer regularly. 73% of those beer-drinkers prefer draught beer to bottled and half of Germans have a “Liebingslokal”, a favourite place to drink where they know people and feel at home.

In Germany each region brews its own distinctive types of beer, from the yeasty, opaque beer of Hefeweizenbier of Bavaria, to Bamberg’s smoky Rauchbier or Kölsch, the pale ale of Cologne.

If you want to get to know some German beers, the best thing to do is to make your own trip to a few small breweries and take your time. The alternative is to join the scrum in festivals like Oktoberfest in Munich where you may be surprised to find that only about six beers are available.

German beer accounts for about 10% of the worldwide market, and German breweries employ about 65,000 people. There are about 1,200 breweries which manage to produce a whopping 5-6,000 varieties, all the more impressive for the fact that the Reinheitsgebot, Germany’s Beer Law, restricts brewers to just four basic ingredients (water, barley, yeast and hops), and forbids flavouring beer with any other additives.

The first beer law was put down in 1487 by Duke Albrecht, who decreed that “a quart of winter beer shall cost one pfennig, a quart of summer beer two pfennigs”, and further added that brewers “shall take only barley hops and water for the beer, boil it in a proper fashion, and add nothing else nor permit anyone else to add anything”.

At that time they relied entirely on the yeast in the air for fermentation, so yeast was not added. In Bavaria on April 23rd 1516, Duke Wilhelm IV made a similar decree from which the modern law directly descends. Now people mark that day by celebrating German Beer Day on 23rd April every year.

Many Germans believe that the Beer Law makes drinking beer ‘purer’ and safer because they know exactly what is in their beer. Most people would agree it makes sense that something without too many additives will probably be healthier.

In fact beer is quite healthy in some respects: one litre of beer contains 45% of the recommended daily allowance of magnesium, 20% of the RDA of potassium, and less calories than the same amount of whole milk or grape juice.

Beer can also keep your hair healthy, giving it shine and volume, and some researchers found that hops can help stop the build-up of carcinogens in the body.

It isn’t everybody who’s happy with the Beer Law though - one brewer called Helmut Fritsche is facing a fine of up to $25,000 for persisting in labelling his product as beer even though it was flavoured late in the brewing process with a sugar-syrup.

He says that the Beer Law infringes on the creativity of small brewers, and added “It’s like taking a cup of tea, or coffee, and adding milk or sugar to it, some people drink it black, and some people take it white – it’s a small difference in taste”.

Traditional German Beer Steins.

However the authorities disagree and his case is before the highest court in Germany. Ironically, EU law means that beers from other countries which are imported into Germany are not subject to the Beer Law. If Fritsche’s brewery was just a few miles further East, in Poland, he could brew any kind of beer he liked and sell it all over Germany.

For the benefit of anybody fortunate enough to visit Germany, here are the beer-drinker’s vital phrases:

• “Kann ich ein Bier haben?” = “Can I have a beer?”
• “Prost!” = “Down it in one”.
• “Diese Bier ist sehr gut” = “This beer is very good”
• “Lass uns anstossen” = “Cheers”, or “let’s drink”

Say it when you clink glasses.

German Agricultural Society (DLG)

The following information was kindly provided by the German Agricultural Society (DLG)

What is the difference between a weizen beer and a pils? Are there regional differences? How do I order? These questions and many others will be asked by football fans visiting Germany in a few weeks for the World Cup.

The DLG, Germany’s independent drinks and food testing society, can explain. This year, it quality-tested over 500 beers from 158 breweries as well as several “beer gardens” in Germany, awarding points for taste, “head” quality and many other areas.

“The foam is the ultimate proof of a beer’s quality,” explains Dr. Heinz-Michael Anger, DLG Director of Beer Tests. “How long it lasts, how tall, how it looks – all of this is measured during our quality assessement of beers. Obviously, the beer’s colour, the overall taste and smell are also among the many other factors that give a full picture,” he adds.

With the World Cup coming up, the DLG has picked out the best local beers it tested in 2005 and 2006 from around the 12 World Cup venues. To help international football fans further, it has also compiled useful beer definitions and beer ordering terms in Geman. English, however, is spoken everywhere.

Germany is the country of beers. No other nation has such a wide choice of beer products, breweries and brands. And judging by the number of German breweries sponsoring football teams, beer and football are a match made in Germany.

The most popular beer types which a football fan is likely to come across are:

• Weizenbier or weissbeer: The name literally means wheat beer. Most beers are based on barley, but weizenbeer includes wheat and a special yeast giving it a spicy and fruity flavour. Weizenbier, available in dark or light colour, requires skill to pull in order to create the decorative head served in a tall conically shaped glas. Weizenbier is mainly brewed in Bavaria. To order: “Ein Weizen bitte!” sounds like: [ eyen vaitsen, bitter].
• Kölsch is closest in taste and look to the type of lager often found in Britain but it is not a lager. Clear and golden, refreshing and subtle, less bitter than a Pilsner, Kolsch is the beer for matches in Cologne as only beers brewed around the area of Cologne may bear its name. Don’t let the small glass and quantity put you off.
• Pils is the most popular beer in Germany and is also the one with most taste variations. With its light golden-colour, this beer has a strong hob and a fine creamy head. A good pils from the tap takes three minutes to prepare. The foam needs to settle following several refills before a beautiful head results. A pils tastes best at eight degrees celcius and is acceptable with a five-course meal. To order: “ein Pils bitte” sounds like: [eyen Pills, bitter].
• Altbier is a German style brown ale. Altbier is a typical speciality from Duesseldorf and the lower Rhine region but is available everywhere. Altbier has longer conditioning which makes it a fruity, smooth and delicate brew. The color ranges from amber to dark brown, with a great balance between malt and hobs. The football venues closest to its home are Dortmund and Gelsenkirschen. To order: “eyen Altbier bitte”, sounds like [eyen arltbeer, bitter].
• Berliner Weisse comes from Berlin and is included here since this location is a world cup venue. Berliner weisse is dark yellow and has a lightly sour taste. Refreshing and sometimes drunk with a shot of fruit sirup, Berliner Weisse is an excellent drink for the summer and can even be drunk with a straw. To order: “Ein Berliner weisse, bitte” sounds like [eyen berlina vyisa, bitter].
• Non-alcoholic beers. German brewers were amongst the first to introduce non-alcoholic beers some 20 years ago. The popularity of this alternative has been immense. Non-alcoholic beer today is often associated with fitness, being a good source of a wide range of minerals and vitamins. Indeed research has shown that non-alcoholic beer is the ideal drink following exercise. Non-alcoholic beer is available in many of above beer types. To order: “ein alkoholfreies bier, bitte” sounds like [eyen alcohol fryers beer, bitter].

12 World Cup venues and DLG-recommended beers

Berlin

• The Lindenbräu Brewery with its own pub and biergarten is located at the heart of Potsdamer Platz – where once east met west. The Lindenbräu brewery was awarded the DLG Gold award in 2005 for the quality of its beer which is made from wheat.
• The Berliner Kindl Brewery prides itself with the slogan “only the best quality beer” and rightly so. Four beers have DLG Gold-award status. Try Berliner Kindl Weisse for a typical Berlin beer or the Potsdamer Rex Pils.

Cologne

Kolsch is the beer of Cologne and no visit to Cologne is complete without trying the “one metre beer” – a stick measuring one metre serves around 12 small 20 centili-ter glasses of beer. Try a Sion or Küppers Kölsch, both DLG quality-awarded. To order in German simply say “ein Meter Kölsch bitte.”

Dortmund and Gelsenkirchen

Both venues are located around 20 kilometres apart. DLG quality-awarded two breweries in this area: Ernst Barre and Moritz Fliege. Neither a Barre Weizen nor Moritz Fliege Pils will disappoint as they both received Gold.

Frankfurt

• Bad Homburg is one of the poshest suburbs of Frankfurt and also houses both brewery and pub restaurant called Kronenhof Hell (Note “Hell” means “light”). This year Kronenhof Hell was awarded DLG Gold for its beer quality.
• For a non-alcoholic beer with a Golden DLG seal of approval, try a Clausthaler Hefeweizen available all over Frankfurt and Germany.

Hamburg

In the Hamburg the two DLG Gold-awarded beers, Flensburger Dunkel and Dithmarscher Pilsener are widely available in restaurants and pubs alike.

Hanover

Gilde brewery was awarded Gold last year for its Gilde Raskeller Premium Pils. This pils can be ordered almost anywhere in Hanover.

Leipzig

The Reudnitzer Brewery based in Leipzig was awarded Gold for its Reudnitzer Pilsner Premium, a pils widely available in this area.

Munich, Bavaria

Arriving by plane, visiting fans are able to satisfy any thirst for quality beer directly on the doorstep. The DLG awarded the pub/restaurant “Airbräu” with a Gold award. Take you pick between FliegerQuell and Kumulus. Airbräu is located between terminal one and two. www.airbraeu.de
Nuremberg

Tucher Brewery was awarded Gold in 2005 for its Tucher Helles Hefeweizen, a weizenbier served in many pubs in the region.

Stuttgart

The Löwenbräu name is internationally famous with a number of breweries by that name in this region. Several Elzacher Löwenbräu were DLG-awarded in 2005, including Elzacher Löwenbräu Der Weiße Löwe.

Copyright © German Agricultural Society (DLG)

Beer has been brewed since time immemorial. It is thought that it was first made in Palestine around ten thousand years ago, in 8000 BC, by macerating barley bread in water.
The Sumerians developed no fewer than ten varieties of beer, and the Babylonians added at least 34 more. Later on, the Egyptians developed what can be called government breweries, making brewing a state monopoly. These “barley wines” were used as offerings to the gods. Pharaoh Ramses II, who is referred to as the “brewing Pharaoh”, imposed very strict rules on the making of beer.
Beer made its way to Europe around 5000 - 4800 BC along two routes: the Danubian route (Eastern Europe) and the Mediterranean route (south of France). Contrary to what is generally believed, beer was brewed and consumed very early in Greece and Rome until it was to some extent replaced by wine.
However, while the Romans were more fond of wine, this did not prevent them from appreciating beer, in particular in the northern regions, where conditions were better for barley fields than for vineyards. For example, the remains of a Gallo-Roman villa were found to contain a brewery dating from the 3rd or 4th century. Among Belgium’s ancestors, the Gauls, the brewing of barley beer was a cottage industry; it was brewed within the family by the women. It were the Gauls who came up with the idea of replacing recipients made of pottery by wooden barrels, which, by the way, they invented. They called malt “brace”, a word that has come down to us in the French terms brassin (beer mix), brasseur (brewer), etc.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, the church took control of the land. The monks took an interest in this beverage, and eventually it appears that there were breweries in every abbey in Christendom. And brewing also went on in inns, castles and homesteads.

The Middle Ages

In spite of barbaric invasions, brewing never quite disappeared from our regions. As early as the 7th and 8th centuries, the first monastic communities consumed beer, which had by then become a popular beverage. At that time, monks lived just like everyone else, but of course they were isolated from society. In the region of the Meuse, the oldest monastery appears to be the Grand-Axe, which is first mentioned in documents in the year 805.
As we have just seen, the first Belgian abbeys already each had their own brewery. This was the case for Villers-la-Ville, which has had a community of monks since 1146. The immense abbey they built was inspired by the architecture of the Cîteaux (the order of the Cistercians). The brewery, in the Romanesque style, was built in the first half of the 13th century. However, the abbey destroyed waste in the religious wars of the 16th century and the French Revolution. Also around this time, the first guilds were set up. The purpose of guilds was to maintain the quality of products and to ensure respect for traditions based on strict rules.
Breweries then proliferated in the 14th and 15th centuries, as beer became a popular beverage. Around this time, it was commonly believed that it was better to drink beer than water, because epidemics like cholera and the plague could be transmitted by water, while the cause of these diseases was eliminated in the brewing process.
The Renaissance (around the 16th century) was the golden age of brewing. Their corporations were very rich. In Brussels, brewers bought the “Arbre d’or”, a fine building that is now the “Maison des Brasseurs” (House of Brewers) on the Grand’Place. They restored this dwelling and embellished it in the 17th century. Although it was completely destroyed in the bombarding of Brussels by the Marshal de Villeroy, it was quickly rebuilt, at great expense, in the 18th century, when it was adorned with the facade that is still admired to this day by countless tourists. It was sold off by the French revolutionaries in the 18th century, and then in 1954 after some radical conversion work it once again became the “Maison des Brasseurs”.

From the 17th century until the Second World War

In the 17th century, many different types of beer began to appear up and down the country. Each variety was characterized by the specific ingredients used and the quality of the water. Small breweries flourished at this time, and as in those days there were no sophisticated means of preserving the product, each village had its own brewery.
At the end of the 18th century, a historical event took place that was anything but beneficial to the tradition of brewing: the French Revolution. In addition to the fact that it put an end to brewers’ guilds, the Revolution led to the destruction of many monasteries and abbeys, effectively wiping out much of the brewing industry. However, with the arrival of Napoleon on the scene brewing took off again thanks to a general economic recovery, although from that time on brewing would no longer be reserved for monks. It became a fully-fledged industry in its own right.
At the end of the 19th century, the scientific progress achieved by Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) in the study of yeast and the preservation of food by “pasteurization” gave breweries new impetus for some time. And these discoveries not only made it possible to preserve beer more efficiently, but they also improved the quality of beer, as the various types of yeast produce different flavors.
By the year 1900, there were 3,223 registered breweries in Belgium, including Wielemans’ Brewery in Forest (Brussels), which was considered to be the biggest and most modern in Europe. It was also in Brussels (in the brewery called the Grande Brasserie de Koekelberg, to be precise) that the first bottom-fermenting beer (Pils) was brewed in 1886.
After the First World War, there was a considerable drop in the number of breweries. In fact, by 1920 there were only 2,013. The reason was that there was a dearth of the raw materials and manpower needed for brewing, and the few breweries that resumed production had to be mechanised. In the 1930s, the economic crisis made the situation even worse, and the Second World War caused a further reduction in the number of breweries. As a result, in 1946 Belgium had only 755.

World War until today

After the Second World War, the number of breweries continued to fall. The small breweries had in fact disappeared or had been taken over by larger concerns, so much so that by 1983 there were only 134 breweries left.
Nowadays, the brewing industry is characterized by two main trends: firstly, at a global level, major mergers between large groups of breweries and, secondly, at a regional level, the revival of small and medium-sized breweries developing a variety of products whose characteristics are linked to the terror. There are now around a hundred breweries in Belgium that offer a range that includes around 500 different products.

Source: Opt.be

German Beer

Japanese Beer

Australian Beer

Mexican Beer

Irish Beer

British Beer

Belgian Beer

Here is a description of the most common beer styles:

Lager: Two different types of yeast can be used to create alcohol. Bottom-fermenting yeast that ferments slowly at a low temperature creates a smoother, mellower beer. Lager beers are light in color, high in carbonation and tend to be less alcoholic than ales. Lagers are best served chilled (about 48 °F/9 °C).

Water is needed in all stages of the production of whisky. It is mixed with the barley to promote germination, it is added to ground barley grist to create a mash and it is required for diluting most whisky before maturation and once again before bottling.

Barley, water and yeast are the exclusive ingredients required in the production of single malt Scotch.

The barley used to make the whisky is “malted” by soaking the grain in water for 2-3 days and then allowing it to germinate to produce the necessary enzymes required.
The malt is milled into coarse flour, and mixed with hot water to activate the enzymes, which leads to conversion of starches to fermentable sugars. Long starch chains are broken into glucose, maltriose, and maltose, which can be fermented by yeast.

The extraction is carried out in a large kettle called a mash tun. At first, the hot water activates the enzymes by providing an optimal temperature for activity in the grist. The enzymes act on the starch to convert it into sugar, and in the process it produces a sugary liquid, known as wort.

Yeast is then added to the wort for fermentation, in a large vessel called a washback. Washbacks are commonly made of Oregon Pine or stainless steel. The yeast feeds on the sugars and as a by-product produces both carbon dioxide and alcohol; this process is called fermentation and can take up to three days to complete. When the process is complete, the liquid contains an alcohol percentage of 5 to 7% by volume, and is now known as wash.

To be called a single malt Scotch, a bottle may only contain whisky distilled from malted barley produced at a single distillery. If the bottle is the product of single malt whiskies produced at more than one distillery, the whisky is called a vatted malt, or a blended malt. If the single malt is mixed with grain whisky, the result is a blended Scotch whisky.

The age mentioned on a bottle of single malt Scotch is the age of the youngest malt in the mix, as commonly the whiskies of several years are mixed together in a vat to create a more consistent drink.

About the author:
Single Malt was created by a small group of whisky afficinados. It started out as a ‘Whisky club’ where lovers of single malts got together and made small talk over a malt. For more further information about Scotch please www.whiskycircle.com.

Distillation is the centuries-old process used to produce alcohol. Heat is used to separate the components of a liquid, or mash, and as vaporization takes place the vapors are cooled so they condense into neutral spirits with little color, aroma, or flavor.

The distiller then blends this neutral spirit with other alcohol or flavorings and may or may not leave it to mature, or age, until the desired flavor and aroma is achieved before bottling. Brandy and clear, colorless grappa are two examples of spirits distilled from wine, which you will find in most standard bar stocks. The following are the best-known distillations from wine produced in countries around the world.

Armagnac

Armagnac is a pale golden, fiery, dry-tasting French brandy. Under French law, only white grapes from the Haut-Armagnac, Tenareze, and Bas-Armagnac regions of Gascony, in southwest France, may be distilled for Armagnac. The distillation takes place after the grape harvest, which occurs between October and April. Unlike cognac, its younger cousin, Armagnac has traditionally been made with only one distillation, but a recent change in legislation means double distillation is now allowed, speeding up the maturation process, which takes place in oak barrels.

Three stars on the label mean it has had at least two years’ maturation; V.S.O.R, at least five years; Napoleon and X.O., at least six years; and Hors d’Age at least 10 years in the barrel. A vintage year on the label indicates the year of the harvest. A vintage Armagnac is never blended.

Brandy

First discovered in the middle of the thirteenth century in France as an attempt to produce a medicinal drink, brandy is now made around the world wherever grapes are grown. After two distillations, the clear, colorless alcohol is given its distinctive nutty brown color and flavor by aging in wood, often oak, barrels. The longer a brandy ages, the more refined its flavor is judged to be. In the United States.

Cognac

Prehaps the best-known brandy in the world, cognac comes from a uprcific area in western France centered around the town of Cognac Hi ihe Charente region. To be labeled as “cognac,” French legislation n|ircifies the brandy can only be made from specific white grapes winch are grown and later distilled within a strictly defined fid’graphical area.

Cognac production is governed by old traditions as well as the laws, so all the brandy is distilled at least twice and then matured in oak barrels for at least two years, during which time it develops its rich, brown color. The end result is 80 proof. Information mi ihe label, also governed by law, explains the maturity of the cognac.

Three stars or VS. means the cognac has been matured in the barrel for at least two years; V.S.O.R, Vieux, V.O, and Reserve Indicate at least four years; V.V.S.O.P and Grande Reserve are (cognacs matured for at least five years; Extra, Napoleon, X.O., Tres eux, and Vieille Reserve are stored for six to 10 years in oak barrels.

Crappa

This clear, Italian spirit, about 80 proof, is distilled from the remains Of the grapes used in wine production, the stems, skins, and pits. Crappa made from white wine is dry and fiery, while that from red wine has a powerful flavor. Although grappa is best known as an Italian spirit, versions of it are made in other countries, such as marc in France.

Marc

This French pomace spirit is distilled from the press residue resulting Irom wine production. Depending on the variety, it either tastes powerful and full flavored (marc de bourgogne) or light, dry, and very soft (marc de champagne). The alcohol content is between 80 and 90 proof. There is a flavor difference between marc made from red-wine and white-wine residues. A small glass of marc, served neat, is aperfect digestive.

Metaxa

The best-known Creek spirit, metaxa is distilled from black grapes. The alcohol content is about 80 proof. Stars on the label tell you how long the liquor was aged. Three stars means three years; five stars, five years; and seven stars, seven years. Bottles labeled as Private Reserve have been matured for at least 20 years, and have the smoothest flavor.

Pisco

This very tangy, colorless brandy is the national drink of Chile, and is the main ingredient in the refreshing cocktail Pisco Sour. Produced from black grapes with a high proportion of muscatel grapes, it is matured in clay casks.

Weinbrand

This German grape brandy, whose name translates as “burned wine,” is distilled using some wines from neighboring countries, but legislation requires up to 85 percent of the final product to be German. It must then be matured for six months in oak casks holding a maximum of 1,000 liters (about 2,600 gallons) each. Old weinbrand must be cellared for a minimum of 12 months.

If it is then at least 76 proof, it will receive an official reference number and can be sold. Like cognac, weinbrand is double distilled. Weinbrand should be served no warmer than room temperature, and is best served in a brandy snifter. If it is a little on the cool side, however, it does not matter because it will quickly attain the correct temperature through heat transferred from the hands.

Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com, Mario’s bar

As the organic movement grows, there is pressure from environmentalists and increasingly choosy customers to know exactly what goes into their food and drink before they purchase it. Organic wines have previously been accused of being dull, and most of the world’s “best” wines have long been produced in a far from organic way.

The place to start when talking about organic wine is to decide exactly what the term “organic” means to you.

Organic wine is made without the use of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides or fungicides. It is also vacant of artificial preservatives or colorings, which may be added to non-organic varieties.

But why go organic? It is thought that many of our foodstuffs have been tainted with chemical build up through the use of non-natural pesticides or fertilizers on the plants they grow and that your body could be affected by consuming them. The build-up of these chemicals, it is claimed by environmentalists, have the potential to cause long-term health problems or could contribute to developing allergies. There is also the question of chemicals from treated crops going into the ground and ending up in drinking water, an issue that has already led to many changes in general crop production and water treatment.

Most commercial crops are grown with the use of fertilizers and other chemicals who kill things that can harm the crop. Continued use of these chemicals can weaken the soil and start to upset the eco-system in the ground. They also lead to some pests developing a tolerance to them which encourages the further development and use of stronger chemicals and further builds up chemicals in the product itself.

The alternative to all this is to grow plants organically. Organic farming is a more time consuming method of production and needs time to replenish the natural eco-system too. Setting up an organic farm means taking time to tackle weeds by hand,
encouraging natural predators of pests who frequent the vineyard, and where this does not work, finding other ways of tackling the many organisms that harm crops. Fertilizer will be compost or animal manure, and a system of planting flowers and herbs to create biological diversity has to be included in an organic vineyard.

Vineyards face an additional problem – mildew and black rot. These are diseases that can ruin a crop and in some cases destroy a whole vineyard. This makes growing organic vines very difficult in regions where there is a lot of humidity. Therefore organic production is most common in hot dry regions where fungal infections are less likely, and where extra labor can more easily be afforded.

To be able to sell as an organic vineyard, the organization has to be recognized by one of the official certification bodies across the world.

About the author:
Fiona Muller has been writing for over 20 years. She is a qualified journalist and has worked in food and drink writing for the last few years. To look at a variety of Organic Wines on offer, go to http://www.laithwaites.co.uk

To optimize the experience, red wines need time to age, then a minute of time to breathe once opened before serving. They do not need to be chilled, and they go well with strong flavors and dark meats.

In this article, different varieties of red wine grapes are detailed, giving you as chance to experiment with flavors whilst allowing you to get to know some of the products that are available.

On the whole, there are six classic red grape varieties that make up the majority of wines that are available for purchase. There of course others, but this is just an overview of the most common varieties available:

Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is traditionally associated with Bordeaux but is now grown all over the New World and Europe. It has a black current like taste, which is created from small grapes who have thick skins. Cabernet Sauvignon is probably one of the most established types of red wine and it covers the world, ranging from Eastern European (often tight budget) speciality wines, through Chilean and Australian varieties, through to the prestigious and historic red wines of Bordeaux that have been matured to produce smoother, generally more expensive wines.

Merlot

Merlot is also traditionally associated with the Bordeaux region of France. It hasn’t spread across the world in the same way as the Cabernet Sauvignon due to its more specific soil condition requirements. But it has found a happy new home in the valleys of Northern California. A rich, juicy wine, it has tastes resembling fruitcake and black currant.

Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is associated with Burgundy region wineries, and until recently was not produced with particular success anywhere else. However New Zealand is now producing some very fine Pinot Noir wine. The wines produced by this grape are at first summery in their taste. They remind you of summer fruits. After five to ten years of maturing, however, this taste changes to become much richer, and deservedly more expensive.

Shiraz or Syrah

What the French call Syrah, is known by Australians as Shiraz. It is traditionally grown in the Rhone Valley, but has become popular right across the New World. There are great varieties of this distinct wine coming out of Australia, Chile, California and South Africa. It is one of the true favourites of people who prefer red wine. The flavour is fruity but sometimes can even be peppery, making it not a taste that everyone likes.

Sangiovese

This is the most widely planted red grape in Italy. Famous for Chianti (a product of this grape), it has been regarded by many as a really tasty pour from the jug wine. It may not be a fruity wine, but it is a great partner for all types of food, it has a taste of black cherries but this is often not that obvious. It is starting to become better known, and is certainly one to look out for as the New World starts to get more interested in and good at growing Sangiovese grapes.

Nebbiolo

Nebbiolo is another of Northern Italy’s classic grapes which, despite being responsible for some of Italy’s finest wines, has not been made the jump into the New World. It’s spiritual home is Barolo, and it would seem ideally suited to planting in warmer climes. The taste is of black cherries and sometimes even chocolate making it a rich wine.
There are many more types of grape and particular blends of complementary grapes that go into making red wines – but this should give you an overview to start your sampling with – for more information on red wines, go to laithwaites(dot)co(dot)uk

About the author:
Fiona Muller has been writing for over 20 years. She is a qualified journalist and has worked in food and drink writing for the last few years. For more information
Visit - www.laithwaites.co.uk