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April - Wine Definitions

Another Great Wine Definitions Article

Wine And Fruit Baskets


Lush, elegant and evocative, wine and fruit baskets are hugely popular gift offerings that thrill and titillate. The sight of those colorful fruits snuggled around impossibly mouth-watering wines hits the senses immediately. Who can look at these distinctive gift baskets without a pang?



Your goodwill and generosity of spirit are ideally conveyed through wine and fruit baskets during the holiday season, as well as at weddings, housewarming parties, birthdays or other personal celebrations. It speaks of the mutual joy and happiness that you share with the recipient, and a call to celebrate with vigor!



Seasonal and tropical fruits, usually crunchy pears, crisp red apples and juicy oranges from renowned sources, take the top spot in a classic wine and seasonal fruit basket. Royal Fuji apples from Japan, South African baby pineapples and chocolate-covered cherries or blueberries are other exciting fruits that make for a basket with a difference.



Dried fruit assortments, nuts, cheese and chocolates are added to the fresh fruits to make a heady combination. Fruit preserves, dips and savory mixes are also integrated into this creative basket to cater to a family or office team and to linger long after the fruit and wine have been consumed.



A full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon, a smooth Chardonnay, Pinot Noir or other sparkling wine bring out the multiplicity of fruit flavors. Champagne, fruity, dry wines or sweet dessert wines also work well with fruits.



Another intriguing innovation that adds to the magnetism of these baskets is to offer combinations of fruit and wine that result in a new product. Pineapple and passion fruit juice or kiwis and lime, when combined with white wine, can result in a delightful Sangria that will leave your loved ones dazed. Fruit wedges, sliced peaches, and strawberries with chilled white wine can result in a memorable super-fruity sangria. Traditional mimosa drinks are another alternative with fruit and wine. Your beloved champagne with orange juice can result in a heady mimosa that will embellish a Mother?s Day brunch like never before.



So weigh your options, look at your budget and decide how best you want to toast the occasion. Unleash your creativity and zest for life with the ideal wine and fruit gift basket. Let your popularity soar, and may you bask in oceans of eternal love and friendship!





Wine Baskets provides detailed information on wine baskets, wine gift baskets, wine picnic baskets, wine and cheese baskets and more. Wine Baskets is affliated with Bakery Management.

Wine Definitions and More

How About Adding a Wine Cellar to Your Home?


If you love wine, you might just want your very own wine cellar. Before you start hammering, there are a few things you should probably know and think...


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Wine Definitions Products we recommend

Louis Affre Bourgogne Haute Cotes de Nuits Futs de Chene


The wines of Dufouleur in Nuits St. Georges are some of the most consistent in Burgundy's Cote D'Or. We have been offering the firm's "Louis Affre" label for several years, and this recent addition is another admirable French Chardonnay from their portfolio of fine wines. We found this "futs de chene" dry white wine to have oak flavors that have been well integrated with the ripe fruit, and not domineering. This is a well rounded and deeply flavored Chardonnay from the upper vineyards of the Cotes de Nuits which can hold its own from fine wines from Chassagne or Meursault. Great gift! BHCN02 BHCN02


Price: 37.99 USD



News about Wine Definitions

Wine of the week: 2005 Syrah "Le Pousseur" (California, $18) (The Beaufort Gazette)

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 21:02:24 PDT
I knew that the 2005 Syrah "Le Pousseur" (California, $18) was going to be a big, fruit treasure from the aromas filling the room once it hit the glass.

Wine of the week | Try this wine with steak and veggies (The State)

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 21:06:40 PDT
2005 Syrah “Le Pousseur,” California, $18 I knew this was going to be a big fruit treasure because of the aromas that filled the room when the wine hit the glass. I sat next to the wine while dinner was being delivered, and I noticed blueberry-pie and clove aromas. The flavors were robust with dark jam and cedar nicely framed by a touch of white pepper. The finish lingered and was very soft. ...

Wine of the Week: 2006 Red Rock Reserve Merlot (Winston-Salem Journal)

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:32:02 PDT
The 2006 Red Rock Reserve Merlot (California, $12) is a medium-bodied red wine. It is no paragon of complexity, but it's a very pleasant merlot with generous black-cherry flavor and solid structure at an affordable price. It finishes with good length and provides just as much satisfaction as many California merlots that cost two or three times as much. Serve with steak, hamburger or pasta.

Vinogirl's Rambling...a blog for the newbie wine-o!

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:59:10 PDT
Enjoy this bitchin' 30something California chick's blog about all things WINE!

WINE Wine experts debate second labels vs. bulk sales (The Santa Rosa Press Democrat)

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 01:06:08 PDT
To bottle excess wine as a second label or sell it as bulk wine or offer it only by the glass that question sparked a lively discussion in front of nearly 300 people at the Business Journal s 2008 Wine Industry Conference on April 9.


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12:47 AM

April 16, 2008 - Wine Cup

Another Great Wine Cup Article

The Art Of Tasting Wine


When it comes to tasting wine there is certainly a lot of etiquette involved, however this is no reason to become intimidated or run away! Tasting wine is where all the fun begins for every wine has its' story to tell and the tasting ritual is the only way to ever hear it!

Smelling, sipping, tasting, and drinking! The etiquette in wine tasting exists because taste is entirely affected by smell. Wine has so much to offer our taste buds, so in order to get the whole experience a short ritual must first occur.

1. Color - Take a look. View the wine, examine its color. Each varietal will show similar variances of color so this will be your first clue in determining the right grape. For a sommelier or avid wine junkie, this step can paint a larger picture about the varietal, region, and age of the wine in question while even prepare the participant for what to expect. As an amateur however take a mental picture, admire the beauty the wine beholds and prepare to taste!

2. Swirl ? I am quite sure you have seen diners swirling their glasses of wine at least somewhere once. This step is integral to the art of smelling as swirling acts as a catalyst in releasing the wine?s bouquet. A bouquet refers to the overall smell of the wine, and is also known as ?the nose?. After a bottle is opened and poured it requires oxygen in order to develop into the treasure it was meant to be. Swirling encourages aeration, allowing more oxygen to get into the wine and release the bouquet. So get swirling!

3. Smell ? This step is critical in tasting wine as our sense of taste is good, however our sense of smell is much better, in fact on average a person can smell over 2000 various scents! What we smell also affects what we taste so it is important to take the time to smell the wine before you taste. You will begin to notice many different scents that may be hard to differentiate at first. Try opening a few different bottles of white varietals or red varietals and smell each. Notice the differences between them. Does it smell like a particular fruit or spice? Does is smell burnt or like tar? Maybe it smells woody or nutty? By practicing you will be better able to determine different characteristics in the wine and of course be able to determine the varietal right away.

The last and equally important part about smelling wine is to identify whether the wine is ?off? or in other words bad. Wine, like most everything, is not perfect all of the time. A nose that reflects the dank smell of a moldy cellar is a sure sign of a ?corked wine?. This is the most common fault found in wine caused by a contaminant called TCA which is found mostly in corks but can also reside in wood barrels, walls, and beams. Unfortunately this ugly little impurity can cause a lot of damage. So use your senses to detect corked wine, and take your damaged bottle back to where you bought it for a refund!

4. Taste ? This is not a cue for drinking! This simply means to take a sip and hold it on the palate for at least a few moments. We have thousands of taste buds all over the mouth so it makes sense to allow the wine to find almost all of them! Move the wine all around the mouth so that it reaches your cheeks and throat. Notice how your taste buds react to the substance. While tasting the wine, consider the following to help determine characteristics.

Sour/Tart: This is determined at the edges of the tongue and back of throat usually signaling acidity.

Sweet: You will experience this taste immediately if there is any residual sugar in the wine as sweetness is determined on the tip of the tongue.

Bitter: This taste is determined at the back of the tongue.

Weight: Felt in the middle of the tongue and around the gums. Light or full?

Tannin: Very astringent sensation felt throughout the mouth especially the gums and teeth. It often coats the taste buds making fruit difficult to detect.

The Finish

Whether you decide to swallow or spit out your taster, be sure to take a little time to review your entire experience with this wine. Really process the journey in order to secure its? story into your mental records. Ask yourself a few questions and take some tasting notes if you like: What did this wine show you? Did you enjoy it? What did you like/dislike about it? Was it well balanced? A well balanced wine is not too much of any one taste, flavor, or sensation; it?s just right!

It is also wise to pay attention to how long its? presence lasts in your mouth. This is known as the length of the wine. A great wine can last for several minutes!

Like any sport or hobby, practice makes perfect; the more you taste the more knowledge you?ll gain on this quenching subject.


About the Author:

Jennie Wills has been a hospitality expert for 10 years leading to the successful launch of www.thesexykitchen.com Discover how to turn your passion into a successful website. www.succeed-from-your-passion.com





Short Review on Wine Cup

Why You Should Use A Wine Rack


There are several ways that you can store wine but without doubt the best and easiest for most people is in a wine rack. It?s the best way to ensure t...


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Recommended Wine Cup Items

Feast of Bordeaux Premium


The finest French Bordeaux, sweetened with delectable French desserts! Wine selection is the Les Conquettes Bourdeaux Red a wonderful young Bronze Metal Bordeaux Cabernet and 10% Merlot, surrounded by Cheese Spreads, Camembert and Brie Flavor, 3 Cheese Wedges, Tuscany, Amstel and Kumin, Beef Sausage, Wheat Water Crackers and Water Crackers are presented in a woven basket. Magnificent! FOB04 FOB04P


Price: 117.95 USD



Wine Cup in the news

Psssst, I Got A Secret - Episode #410

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 23:54:51 PST
Gary V and another great wine library TV show - check out these white wines from St Aubine region - one I didn't know about - and the comical scratching under his shirt strikes me as funny too

Wine With Shades of Green

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 09:00:36 PST
So many pieces go into consideration when choosing a good wine: region, vintage, variety, winemaker, etc. I bet there is a piece you have overlooked on many occasions when choosing the perfect wine; the green piece.

Wine Classification

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 05:35:15 PST
Of the numerous classifications that have been made, and that might be made, of the various and diverse wines produced in the different wine growing regions, that is to be preferred which, up to a certain point


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