January, 03, 2011 China's nouveau riche thirsty for premium vino

(Reuters) - Following the explosion in demand for designer bags, Italian suits and fast cars, expensive French and Italian wines are set to be the next must-have accessory for the wealthy Chinese consumer. Wine bars are proliferating rapidly in Shanghai, the country's glitzy financial capital, wh...

January, 02, 2011 Grapes good for wine, for jam, for munching

If one of your New Year's resolutions is to eat healthier, try our Roasted Grapes and Yogurt Parfait.Today's recipe showcases a fruit that has been around since biblical times. Today, there are more than 8,000 varieties of grapes worldwide, each specifically grown for wine, juice, raisins, currants,...

January, 01, 2011 Oklahoma: Expanded wine and beer sales on table

Oklahomans are again debating the merits of wine and strong beer sales in grocery stores as the state Legislature is expected to take up the issue in 2011.Proponents of the measure say it would attract more businesses to Oklahoma and help keep college graduates in the state. But opponents worry that...

December, 31, 2010 Beware of the Bubbly: Why Champagne Is More Intoxicating Than Wine

Ringing in the New Year with a champagne toast is a ritual as old as time itself. Its fizzy effervescence certainly makes for an appropriately celebratory drink. But too much of a good thing sometimes leads to becoming a bit more tipsy than we’d planned… and possibly a nasty hangover to boot. Of...

December, 30, 2010 Egg White Fining, Malolactic Levels: Wine Wizard

Is the salmonella (commonly associated with eggs) a problem to consider when fining with egg whites?Egg whites are an ancient, traditional and natural additive and are sometimes used to pull excessive tannins out of wine in a gentle treatment process known as “fining.” Practiced for centuries al...

December, 30, 2010 Spumante vs. Champagne: Battle of the Bubblies

When you pop a cork this holiday season, there's a good chance that the bubbles in your glass won't be French. Hard times, it turns out, can sometimes be good times - especially if you're a producer of Italian sparkling wine, or spumante. While the recession has taken some of the fizz out of France'...

December, 29, 2010 Stopping Vineyard Grinches

Benton City, Wash.—Bears, birds and even a harvest-time grinch with a tasted for Mourvèdre were present in Northwest vineyards this year, as patience squared off against covetousness.While most vintners—even ice wine producers—were able to get grapes in and wines down for the winter prior to ...

December, 29, 2010 Wine under water: a scientific study

It is not your average wine cellar.But the Spanish seabed may produce a better quality of beverage than any old underground storeroom.Vast numbers of bottles are being submerged in a major study to see if a marine environment really does produce a tastier tipple.In the lab, the boffins have plenty t...