12:16 PM
April 2008 - Port Wine
A Featured Port Wine Article
Tips from Andre: Fruit Wines and Fruit Winemaking ?Part 1 of 2
Once again we have advent of the summer season in Western New York and Ontario and while some home winemakers limit their endeavors to the grape, others, including myself, anxiously await the arrival of the fresh fruit. Once dismissed out of hand by some as inferior and often quaintly referred to as ?country? wines, fruit wines are enjoying a surge in popularity never seen before, embraced by amateur and professional vintners alike.
And why shouldn?t they? Our region has the good fortune to possess a burgeoning agribusiness in fruit other than grapes and, as many fruit farmers have discovered (as indicated by the surge in farm winery licenses), wine returns a much more appealing margin than fruit alone. For those who are still on the fence about the virtues of fruit wine, may I suggest that you take a day to tour some of the local wine trails and try them.
For me, a family outing to the local fruit farms, especially a ?U-Pick,? was always gleefully anticipated as a summertime ritual. The delicious baked goods and the jellies and jams made from the fruit could be enjoyed into the cold winter months. That is, of course, if they lasted that long.
We still make and love all these things, but taking the extra time and expense to produce wine from the strawberries, cherries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, and other fruits adds another dimension that will challenge and hone your skills. This is because, unlike grapes (especially those varieties which one may regularly vint year after year), fruits, berries, and other feedstock used to make these wines have less predictable characteristics in their pH, acid, and sugar. Therefore, careful testing and attention to making the proper adjustments is important to producing a good fruit wine.
There is an abundance of websites that have good basic fruit wine recipes, and even recipes to make wine from vegetables and herbs. Simply plug ?fruit wine recipes? into a search engine.
Now for another reason why home winemakers should have a second look at fruit wines. Today, people are more health-conscious than ever. Almost every day for the past decade, starting with ?The French Paradox,? we?ve been bombarded with one clinical study after another that touts the health benefits of drinking red wine in moderation.
Well, surprise! The same health-promoting compounds found in Pinot Noir are found abundantly in fruits and berries. The polyphenol pigments that impart color to the fruit are known collectively as anthocyanins, a family of powerful antioxidants. The compound found in Pinot Noir called resveratrol is produced in greater amounts in this varietal as an antifungal because the skin of the grape is thin and susceptible to splitting. Resveratrol has been studied for its ability to block cell inflammation and oxidative stress related to arthritis and other degenerative diseases, as well as cancer treatment and prevention. *
Blackberries, mulberries, and especially blueberries are rich in powerful antioxidants like resveratrol. Blueberries also contain phytosterol and pterostilbene, which have recently been shown to be useful in lowering bad (LDL) cholesterol, preventing heart disease, and protecting the body against certain cancers.
None of these beneficial compounds are lost in the winemaking process, so why not raise a glass of fruit wine and drink to your health?
*Joseph, J.A., Shukitt-Hale B., Denisova, N.A. Bielinski D., Martin, A., McEwen, J.J., and Bickford, P.C. "Reversal of Age-Related Declines in the Neuronal Signal Transduction, Cognitive, and Motor Behavioral Deficits with Blueberry, Spinach, or Strawberry Dietary Supplementation," Journal of Neuroscience, September 15, 1999, Vol. 19, No. 18. pp. 8114-8121.]
Winemaking Tips from Ande Pazik of www.bubbleflo.com
E-mail Contact: dkceo@bubbleflo.com
Another short Port Wine review
I Love Italian Wine and Food - The Umbria Region
Umbria lies smack dab in the middle of Italy. The countryside is unspoiled and dotted with medieval churches. Its fairly gentle terrain is composed of...
Click Here to Read More About Wine ...
Recommended Port Wine Items
Chateau D'Yquem - Sauternes - 1er
"Superb, brilliant golden color. The bouquet is already intense and very expressive, to an extent rarely seen in a wine this young. Tremendously pure, complex aromas: yellow fruit, dried fruit, spices, aromatic plants and elegant oak. Starts out beautifully on the palate. The roundness is backed up by great acidity and a vivacious quality. Beautifully smooth and softer after taste. This elegant wine has a remarkebly long finish." From Chateau D'Yquem's website. Received a score of 94 from Wine Spaectator's James Suckling. This dry white wine from France is a great gift to buy online! (Subject to Availability) DYQ99 DYQ99
Price: 281.99 USD
News about Port Wine
Family starts vineyard in Cummings Valley
Sat, 05 Apr 2008 18:40:36 PDT
CUMMINGS VALLEY — Volunteers on their hands and knees brought a vineyard to life as they gently placed root stocks in rocky soil Saturday morning. Chuck McCollough and friends planted 6,310 grape vines — Zinfandel, Viognier and Syrah varieties on his land near Tehachapi. If all goes well, he should have his first harvest in three years.
The Weekly Rant
Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:49:00 PDT
Our books just came in the mail, so Snuffles and I are now on a reading binge, meaning we don't have time for little things like posting essays in a vain attempt to gain approval from total strangers on the Internet. Lucky isn't posting either because she's pouting; apparently, she's upset both because Rocky the Space Mouse hasn't written in a while and because I said something insensitive, though I have no idea what it is because she isn't speaking to me. That's four becausees in one sentence,
Red, White and Drunk All Over :: A Wine-soaked Journey From Grape to Glass.
Sat, 12 Apr 2008 08:27:51 PDT
Recently I received an email from Natalie Maclean, author of “Red, White And Drunk All Over” asking if she could send copy of her book for me to review. Since, for me, most wine books are about as exciting a read as trying to plow thru Les Miserables in my high school French class, I responded with a very lukewarm “Ok.” It sat on my desk for about a month until last week when I experienced one of those no-way can I get back to sleep nights. I was looking for something to read, saw RW&D, and
International Wine
Jordan Wine | K&L Wines
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Tips from Andre: Fruit Wines and Fruit Winemaking ?Part 1 of 2
Once again we have advent of the summer season in Western New York and Ontario and while some home winemakers limit their endeavors to the grape, others, including myself, anxiously await the arrival of the fresh fruit. Once dismissed out of hand by some as inferior and often quaintly referred to as ?country? wines, fruit wines are enjoying a surge in popularity never seen before, embraced by amateur and professional vintners alike.
And why shouldn?t they? Our region has the good fortune to possess a burgeoning agribusiness in fruit other than grapes and, as many fruit farmers have discovered (as indicated by the surge in farm winery licenses), wine returns a much more appealing margin than fruit alone. For those who are still on the fence about the virtues of fruit wine, may I suggest that you take a day to tour some of the local wine trails and try them.
For me, a family outing to the local fruit farms, especially a ?U-Pick,? was always gleefully anticipated as a summertime ritual. The delicious baked goods and the jellies and jams made from the fruit could be enjoyed into the cold winter months. That is, of course, if they lasted that long.
We still make and love all these things, but taking the extra time and expense to produce wine from the strawberries, cherries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, and other fruits adds another dimension that will challenge and hone your skills. This is because, unlike grapes (especially those varieties which one may regularly vint year after year), fruits, berries, and other feedstock used to make these wines have less predictable characteristics in their pH, acid, and sugar. Therefore, careful testing and attention to making the proper adjustments is important to producing a good fruit wine.
There is an abundance of websites that have good basic fruit wine recipes, and even recipes to make wine from vegetables and herbs. Simply plug ?fruit wine recipes? into a search engine.
Now for another reason why home winemakers should have a second look at fruit wines. Today, people are more health-conscious than ever. Almost every day for the past decade, starting with ?The French Paradox,? we?ve been bombarded with one clinical study after another that touts the health benefits of drinking red wine in moderation.
Well, surprise! The same health-promoting compounds found in Pinot Noir are found abundantly in fruits and berries. The polyphenol pigments that impart color to the fruit are known collectively as anthocyanins, a family of powerful antioxidants. The compound found in Pinot Noir called resveratrol is produced in greater amounts in this varietal as an antifungal because the skin of the grape is thin and susceptible to splitting. Resveratrol has been studied for its ability to block cell inflammation and oxidative stress related to arthritis and other degenerative diseases, as well as cancer treatment and prevention. *
Blackberries, mulberries, and especially blueberries are rich in powerful antioxidants like resveratrol. Blueberries also contain phytosterol and pterostilbene, which have recently been shown to be useful in lowering bad (LDL) cholesterol, preventing heart disease, and protecting the body against certain cancers.
None of these beneficial compounds are lost in the winemaking process, so why not raise a glass of fruit wine and drink to your health?
*Joseph, J.A., Shukitt-Hale B., Denisova, N.A. Bielinski D., Martin, A., McEwen, J.J., and Bickford, P.C. "Reversal of Age-Related Declines in the Neuronal Signal Transduction, Cognitive, and Motor Behavioral Deficits with Blueberry, Spinach, or Strawberry Dietary Supplementation," Journal of Neuroscience, September 15, 1999, Vol. 19, No. 18. pp. 8114-8121.]
Winemaking Tips from Ande Pazik of www.bubbleflo.com
E-mail Contact: dkceo@bubbleflo.com
Another short Port Wine review
I Love Italian Wine and Food - The Umbria Region
Umbria lies smack dab in the middle of Italy. The countryside is unspoiled and dotted with medieval churches. Its fairly gentle terrain is composed of...
Click Here to Read More About Wine ...
Recommended Port Wine Items
Chateau D'Yquem - Sauternes - 1er
"Superb, brilliant golden color. The bouquet is already intense and very expressive, to an extent rarely seen in a wine this young. Tremendously pure, complex aromas: yellow fruit, dried fruit, spices, aromatic plants and elegant oak. Starts out beautifully on the palate. The roundness is backed up by great acidity and a vivacious quality. Beautifully smooth and softer after taste. This elegant wine has a remarkebly long finish." From Chateau D'Yquem's website. Received a score of 94 from Wine Spaectator's James Suckling. This dry white wine from France is a great gift to buy online! (Subject to Availability) DYQ99 DYQ99
Price: 281.99 USD
News about Port Wine
Family starts vineyard in Cummings Valley
Sat, 05 Apr 2008 18:40:36 PDT
CUMMINGS VALLEY — Volunteers on their hands and knees brought a vineyard to life as they gently placed root stocks in rocky soil Saturday morning. Chuck McCollough and friends planted 6,310 grape vines — Zinfandel, Viognier and Syrah varieties on his land near Tehachapi. If all goes well, he should have his first harvest in three years.
The Weekly Rant
Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:49:00 PDT
Our books just came in the mail, so Snuffles and I are now on a reading binge, meaning we don't have time for little things like posting essays in a vain attempt to gain approval from total strangers on the Internet. Lucky isn't posting either because she's pouting; apparently, she's upset both because Rocky the Space Mouse hasn't written in a while and because I said something insensitive, though I have no idea what it is because she isn't speaking to me. That's four becausees in one sentence,
Red, White and Drunk All Over :: A Wine-soaked Journey From Grape to Glass.
Sat, 12 Apr 2008 08:27:51 PDT
Recently I received an email from Natalie Maclean, author of “Red, White And Drunk All Over” asking if she could send copy of her book for me to review. Since, for me, most wine books are about as exciting a read as trying to plow thru Les Miserables in my high school French class, I responded with a very lukewarm “Ok.” It sat on my desk for about a month until last week when I experienced one of those no-way can I get back to sleep nights. I was looking for something to read, saw RW&D, and
International Wine
Jordan Wine | K&L Wines
Labels: Storing Wine | Strawberry Wine
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