100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days

I decided to write 100 Wine Blogs in 100 Days. I started writing on January 18,2010 at http://www.OpenWineConsortium.org and am into my 84th Blog post. You can view all of my blogs once I post them on this Blogspot or go to my twitter account at: http://www.twitter.com/100WineBlogs. You can also go to my Facebook page: 100 Wine Blogs and Become a Fan. You can view my Web site at http://www.100WineBlogs.com.

Wish me luck and post a comment!
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 83 Are you a petite wine taster or a big wine drinker?

Blog 83 Are you a petite wine taster or a big wine drinker?

A petite wine taster likes to try different wines.
A big wine drinker likes to drink more of one wine.

A petite wine taster can spit when trying a great wine.
A big wine drinker will swallow when trying a great wine.

A petite wine taster likes to match up their wines with what they are eating and may not finish a bottle.
A big wine drinker wants to drink more, and more, and more wine with their meal and finishes several bottles at dinner.

A petite wine taster will leave some wine in their glass.
A big wine drinker will never leave wine in their glass.

A petite wine taster will be sober after a full day of tasting.
A big wine drinker will be sloshed after a full day of tasting.

A petite wine taster will take their time trying a wine.
A big wine drinker will have their glass finished and ask for more before anyone else gets a chance.

A petite wine taster will not want to drink a bad wine.
A big wine drinker will drink any wine if they are out of the wine that they like.

A petite wine taster is the one that is still standing at the end of the day.
A big wine drinker is the one that you will find asleep in their glass.

Tell me what you think! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 82 What makes one wine better than another?

Blog 82 What makes one wine better than another?

When looking at what makes one wine better than another, you need to look in all directions. You need to look at the quality of the grapes, the terroir and region the grapes are grown in, the winemaker’s background and the consistency at which a great wine is made.



You can also look at the type of wine you are making, what additives you are using, if any, the way the grapes are grown including pesticides, watering, or are you a green certified winery? Are you pruning the vines? How are you storing your wine and for how long? When do you release the wine? Are you using new oak, old oak, a combination or no oak?



The passion that is put into making wine is the most important component that makes one wine better than another. You have to care more about the wine’s quality than the quantity. You have to care more about the taste than the value.

You should not have to make fancy labels in order to sell your wine, but your label can’t be cheap either. You should talk about the wine that is in the bottle on the label as well as the terroir, and list the percentage of each grape varietal on the label if your wine is from California. You should let the wine buyer know what they are buying by looking at the label.

What influences me into liking one wine over the other is the temperature of the wine, where I am drinking the wine, and who I am drinking the wine with.
And, the wine just has to taste great!

Tell me what you think! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!

Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 81 Do you buy your wine by the case, the bottle, the local store, or from a wine club?

Blog 81 Do you buy your wine by the case, the bottle, the local store, or from a wine club?

How do you normally buy your wine? Do you drink only what people have given to you as a gift? Do you drink your favorites and buy them by the case? Do you purchase wine at the store to compliment whatever meal you are having prior to your dinner? Do you belong to wine clubs and choose from the clubs to decide what you will have to compliment your meal?

There are so many ways to pick up wine these days. I have even purchased online directly from the wineries. I have also purchased from auctions online or specials such as www.Wine.Woot.com. I purchase extra bottles from my wine clubs and from wineries that I have visited. I like to taste the wine prior to purchasing it. I know what I am getting when I have tasted the wine.

I don’t like to get caught up in marketing tactics that make the wine sound better than it really is. We have already seen what happens when marketing gets in the way of quality, with the “Gallo” issue that has recently been in the news. I purchased the Red Bicyclette wine once and threw it out. It was hideous. I was not aware that the grapes were not Pinot Noir. It just tasted horrible. The least they can do is put their name on the label. You can Google the company and find out who owns it, but it is hard when making a choice in a store. If you want to try something different, there can be false hope when a wine looks great but is not.

Make sure you know what you are buying. Ask friends what they like if their taste is like yours. Try new things once you have knowledge of the background of the winery. Look at the label for grapes that come from single vineyards, or that come from certain appellations with a reputation, as opposed to reading, for instance, “California” on the label. Those grapes can be from anywhere in California.

If you find something that you like that is affordable, buy it by the case and drink it up!

Tell me what you think! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!

Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 80 St. Supery Vineyards & Winery, Napa Valley, California

Blog 80 St. Supery Vineyards & Winery, Napa Valley, California

What do I like about St. Supery? Their wines and their hospitality! Their wines are always solid and dependable. No matter where you are across the United States, if there is a St. Supery wine on the menu, at any price, it will live up to its reputation. From their whites to their reds, you can’t go wrong. It was hard for me to find one I did not like and there are many to choose from.

I have belonged to the St. Supery wine club for years. The prices are affordable and for what you are getting, they are outstanding. After all of the years that I have tasted their wines both in their winery and at home, I have not had a complaint. They contact you if they find some wines that were previously sold out. They will give you the chance of purchasing wines that are selling out and they also will answer any questions that you have. Call them anytime and see how friendly they are.

In California, I often host tours and have taken my guests for barrel tastings at St. Supery several times. On each occasion, they have given us a tour and a private barrel tasting as well as a private wine and food pairing. They also have a sensory tour that helps you to know what aromas you may smell in the wine.



If you are in the area of Napa Valley, stop by for a tasting and be sure to go to their gift shop, the sensory area, and enjoy the artwork displayed on the walls.

Tell me what you think! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!

Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 79 Robert Mondavi Winery, Napa, California

Blog 79 Robert Mondavi Winery, Napa, California

One of the best places to visit when you head into California wine country is the Robery Mondavi Winery. The Signature tour takes you into the vineyard showing you the path of the grape from vineyard, to cellar, to the finished product in the bottle. Enjoy a sit-down cellar tasting with the wine educator who gives you tips on how to taste wine and drink wine at its best.

Stroll the property and enjoy two great tasting rooms as well as the large gift shop with a vast array of wine gadgets and gifts. The Mondavi Winery is one of the most beautiful open-air properties combining art and wine in the Napa area. The art gallery contains sculptures, artifacts and paintings. There are concerts held on their property and they have even had performers from Ella Fitzgerald to Etta James.



Although Robert Mondavi is no longer with us, his family tradition of making good wine and combining it with food and art has been passed down to his children and grandchildren. Be sure to check out Continuum Estate, Tim and Marcia Mondavi and their children, uphold the family name by making one style of red wine, Continuum, with the highest quality of artistic expression.

Tell me what you think! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!

Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 78 Why do you like wine?

Blog 78 Why do you like wine?

Do you drink wine on a daily basis? What makes you like wine? Is it the defining characteristics of one particular type or style of wine or do you like to have a variety of choices that coincide with what you are doing or what you are eating? I thought about all of these questions and wondered how wine became a part of life. What makes wine drinkers think that someone cannot be a beer drinker too?

I do not drink wine on a daily basis or beer. I love wine but I also like beer and have partaken in beer tastings and even beer making. I do not drink any other spirits. It seems that because there are many varieties to choose from among beer and wine, I enjoy both. I feel that wine can be formal and informal and at the same time, I think that beer can also go well with many meals and it is great to have at sporting events.

Wine to me, does not work well at sporting events, unless they let me drink out of a glass. I do not like drinking out of plastic cups when I drink my wine. I also do not like “cheap” wine. “I will take the house Chardonnay” does not work for me. What is the house Chardonnay? Is it good? I want a quality wine. It doesn’t have to be expensive to be good. It just has to be good. However, with beer, you can have a Budweiser anytime, as long as it is cold, or you can drink a Chamay out of a glass and wonder if anything can taste better than that.

With wine, I want to choose what I like and match it up with the temperature, the occasion, the food, and even the friends that I am sharing the wine with. It is like picking the clothes that I am going to wear that day, it just has to match. But, at the same time, I also might feel like wearing clothes around the house that do not match. That works for me too. If I just want to feel comfortable with my choice, I might pick a heavy Cabernet Sauvignon and just drink it without pairing it up with food. I was just in the mood to drink Cab.



So, when you are matching and pairing your beer or your wine, keep in mind, your mood determines what you really feel like drinking. Don’t just go with the sure thing. Change it up. Drink what you want to drink. It just tastes better that way.
What do I like? I like whites, reds, sparkling and dessert wines and I also like many types of beer. It’s all good!

Tell me what you think! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!

Bon Vin!
Veronica