WINECOUNTRYLIVING.COM

Cooking Recipes with Wine as a Key Ingredient

admin — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Wine is often a key ingredient in many recipes. Good cooks often add wine to enhance flavors and add complexity to a dish as wine can release different subtle flavors in food that might otherwise not be experienced. Adding wine can also tenderize, and add moisture. As a key ingredient, it’s a very good thing.

Generally, red wines are added to red meat dishes, red sauces, soups with beef stock, or root vegetables. Dry white wines are often used with light cream sauces, or fish and seafood. Sweet wines are at times key ingredients in recipes of sweet desserts, and you can even find recipes for baked goods, such as bread, which use wine.I found some more information here.

Using wine in a recipe takes a bit of skill that can be gained through experience. When you’re just beginning, go slow and start with simple dishes. When choosing a wine for your dish, only use a wine that you’d like to drink. Although it’s best not to go too cheap, save the really good stuff for your own enjoyment. You don’t have to use a premium wine in your cooking. Wines labeled as cooking wine can be a bit salty at times, so adjust your recipe to take that into account. Done right, adding wine to a recipe can take your dish from merely good to “That’s excellent. What’s your secret?”

Matching Dessert Wines to the Right Dessert

www.winecountryliving.com — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Nothing beats a perfectly paired wine and dessert, especially after enjoying a delightful meal. The flavors that are brought out of the palate, thanks to a tasteful pairing can make a magical dining experience.

The rich flavors of cocoa found in dark chocolate bars, cakes, and mousse go great with a port wine. Enjoy a bite of a decadent chocolate dessert, the higher the percentage of cacao the better, and then follow it with a swallow of port. The port brings out strong nuances within the chocolate, and really makes a foodie connect with the flavors of the meal. A good rule to follow is to pair your dessert with a slightly sweeter wine. Balance is key, so you want the acidity and sugar between the dessert and sweetness of the wine to come together effortlessly. Cheesecake pairs nicely with a Riesling. Fruit topped or filled desserts go nicely with a Moscato, which is a sweet dessert wine.

When pairing dessert and wines, engage in taste tests, so as to not bungle your dessert service. Invite a friend or two, to compare palates and experiences. Pairing wines and dessert should be a rewarding experience in eating, and delight the senses.

Alternatives to Wine Cellars for Basement less Homes

admin — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

When you are trying to find alternatives to wine cellars for basement less homes, it can be difficult. This is when you should learn about a couple of the different alternatives that have worked in the past. These include using a specific wine fridge and even storing these in the pantry.

A wine fridge would be a great alternative for many people to look into. When the person looks into this, it will be rather easy for them to have the wine chilled and ready for use at any point in time. Then he or she will not have to worry about the wine going bad on them.

The cool darkness of a pantry can be another great area to store these in as well. Without the light that is present, it can be easy to see the wine will store for a longer period of time. However, this can also lead to the person being able to drink these at any point in time.

Being able to store your wine can be difficult when you do not have a cellar. This is when you should know about the alternatives to wine cellars for basement less homes. Once they know about these, it will be easy for them to understand why they should use these.

Great Napa Valley Vineyards

admin — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Finally planning that dream trip to Napa and Sonoma? You’ve got to get a plan before you go or you’ll be overwhelmed with vineyards to hit up so take some time now to research your options. Use your satellite star internet or talk to a travel agent – and happy wine country!
Duckhorn Vineyards: Located in a beautiful mountainous valley right in the northern tip of Napa, Duckhorn has been producing superior red wines for decades. It’s not the cheapest vineyard you’ll hit but that’s a good thing.
Merryvale Vineyards: If you’re looking for ambiance, this is it. You’ll find a candle-lit cellar rooms and vineyard tours if you come at the right time of year but don’t forget to spring for a tasting. This vineyard is certified environmentally friendly, too, so you’ll feel extra green.
Silverado Vineyards: Family owned for over 20 years, Silverado specialized in single vineyard wines and intimate tastings. If you want the special attention without the high price tag make this your first stop.
Don’t forget to pace yourself and hire a car if you plan on attending more than one tasting!

Wine: To Collect or Not To Collect

admin — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Wine should we collect it or not? This question can be asked and anwsered in many different ways, but simply put, it just depends on the person. If you would like to increase the value of the wine you purchase or want to improve on the taste of it by letting it age, then becoming a wine collector would be great for you. On the other hand, there are many places that do age the wine and preserve it already, so if your just wanting to consume some great tasting wine then collecting may not be for you.

Keep in mind that becoming a collector requires you to have a good knowledge base of which types of wine would best suit your collection. You would also need a storing place for all of it as well, you do not want to have random in random boxes on your closet floor. Having them nice and organized would be a proper way to store the wine you are collecting.

Not being a collector, just a consumer, you also need to have a good knowledge base about wine as well. Finding the properly aged and best tasting wine is key to getting your money worth.

How to Store Your Wine Guides

admin — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Whether you’re a wine expert or trying to impress company, a few tips on how to store your wine will help get the best results from the bottle.
The first rule to storing wine is to leave it in a dark, cool place on it’s side. UV Rays from the sun can leave a devastating mark on the wine, making it smell bad. Keeping it in a constant and cool place will also avoid air from entering the bottle.Confused? Here ‘s a little help . Drops in temperature can suck air into the bottle, which can cause it to go bad overtime. In addition, side storage will keep the cork moist to prevent air from entering the bottle.
Wine is very sensitive, therefore when storing wine you must take special precautions. Make sure you don’t move the wine once it is stored. Any vibration could adversely affect the final taste of the bottle. In addition, because wine breathes, make sure to store away from anything with a strong smell. Most importantly, know how long you can store the wine. Red wines can be stored for 2-10 years, but some white wines should be drank within 2-3 years of storage. Not all wines will improve over time.

Must See and Taste Wine Tours

admin — Tue, 24 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

For those that love the taste of wine and enjoy a country get-away, planning a tour of wine country is a necessity. You can plan a whole vacation around your wine tour, or simply spend one day. If you plan to visit the San Francisco area, a must see for wine lovers would be the Napa Valley wine tours. However, that is not the only place you will find wine tours. Other states like Arizona, Oregon, New York, Washington State and Georgia also boast of wineries with tours.
What does the tour include?
Usually it includes transportation to and from the winery from a nearby city, a knowledgeable guide to answer questions about the grapes, vines and wine making process, a wine tasting – sampling up to 10 different wines, a meal depending on when you leave for the tour and how long the tour lasts, and sometimes a souvenir bottle of wine. The prices for the wine tours vary depending on length of the tour and what you want included; it can run from around fifty dollars per person to hundreds of dollars. Children are welcome on the tours and it makes for a family friendly and educational day.