Joseph asks…

anyone know about the ‘Wine and Cheese’places of the seventies?

It was a very relaxing place you were served different varieties of wine and a tray of cheese ,crackers ,some pepperoni and slices of apple. There was usually one or two people on a guitar possibly a singer. We use to enjoy this type of atmosphere. Does any one remember these places ?how did you enjoy them?

Wines Manager answers:

My prime was in the 70′s. I did a lot of wine & cheese, fruit parties with people.. Often outside on patios, as I remember; but also in the Winter with music. More white in the Summer, red on Winter evenings. I don’t think I ever went to a restaurant for that. It doesn’t seem the fashion so much anymore where I now live (115,000 city in the Midwest). Where I am, cocktails or full dinner parties are more back, when someone wants to be more formal.. And BBQs/grilling (with beer) when someone wants to be more casual. My wine is more in a restaurant with a dinner now, and usually red. Haven’t done the fruit & cheese thing for a long time, and it used to be nice..
Especially when I lived in San Francisco..

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Luxurious. Engaging. Trendsetting. The skybar wine system is both luxury art form and innovative wine accessory. Balancing form and function, this is the first home wine accessory that chills, pours, and preserves from a single system. And, with three individual wine chambers, you can offer a variety of wines to your guests with ease. Every glass is smoothly poured at its ideal temperature, accentuating each varietal’s unique bouquet and flavor profile.

Chill: Serve Wine at Its Ideal Temperature
Wine connoisseurs agree that serving fine wine at its optimal temperature showcases each varietal’s natural bouquet and flavor profile.

• Enjoy multiple bottles at once: Individually chilled wine chambers allow you and your guests to enjoy 3 different wines at once, each served at its ideal temperature.
• Take the guesswork out of wine chilling: Select from 9 preset temperatures based on the optimal serving temperatures for the most popular wine varietals (from Sauvignon Blanc at 45 degrees Fahrenheit to Cabernet Sauvignon at 65 degrees Fahrenheit).
• Adjust the wine temperature to your individual taste: Like your Chardonnay a bit colder? Manual temperature controls allow you to set each wine chamber temperature to your personal preference.

Pour: Enjoy Wine Tasting

• Hold a wine tasting at home: You and your guests will enjoy sampling from 3 wine selections for a wine tasting experience in the comfort of your home.
• Everyone selects the wine they prefer: She wants white . . . he prefers red. Now each of you can enjoy the wine you want, when you want it.
• Take your time: Eliminate worry over unfinished wine. The skybar preserves a bottle up to 10 days, letting you enjoy the wine one glass at a time.

Preserve: Retain the Taste and Aroma of Each Wine

• RetainWine quality for up to 10 days: Patented vacuum technology preserves an open bottle of wine by removing the oxygen that would otherwise oxidize and ruin the wine.
• Open the wines you want: Not just the one you will finish in a day. The skybar protects your wine, allowing you to have several types of wine available at once to enjoy over time without worrying about wasted wine.
• Satisfy everyone’s taste: No need to compromise on which bottle to open. The skybar preserves the wine, allowing your guests and you to enjoy your favorite wines at the same time . . . without compromise!

Metropolitan Design: Accent Your Home’s Stylish Decor

• Form meets function: An elegant accent piece with an innovative blend of form and function suits a variety of lifestyles.
• Place it virtually anywhere: From the living room to the dining room . . . from the kitchen to the bar. The skybar is certain to ignite conversation wherever it is placed.
• Custom skybar wine stand available: Complement your skybar with a custom wine stand to create the perfect wine entertainment center anywhere in your home.

How Does It Work?

This wine system offers 3 individual wine chambers. After the cork is removed from the bottle, the bottle is fitted with a pouring assembly, and then secured into the wine chamber. Once inside the chamber, vacuum preservation begins immediately, removing oxygen from the bottle to preserve your wine. From a sleek, intuitive control panel, a varietal setting is selected, and the skybar automatically cools the wine to its ideal serving temperature. This wine system offers 9 pre-set temperatures for the most popular wine varietals; you may also manually adjust the wine chamber to your preferred serving temperature.

Why Is the skybar Right for You?

The skybar wine system takes the guesswork out of wine by ensuring your wine is served at its optimal temperature–highlighting each varietal’s unique bouquet and flavor profile. With its multiple wine chambers, you can open three bottles of wine for your guests, allowing everyone to enjoy the wine they want. Also, because the bottles are preserved in the wine chambers for up to 10 days, you can enjoy the wine at your leisure, eliminating worry over wasted wine. And, with its metropolitan design, the skybar wine system is the ultimate accessory for the design-conscious host and hostess, certain to ignite conversation and incite admiration.

Click the photo below to find out more about getting your Skybar Wine System:

Description
Ideal for wine connoisseurs or those who love to entertain, this unique system provides an elegant way to chill, serve, and store wine. The machine holds up to three 1-1/2-liter wine bottles in individually controlled chambers, each set to a perfect serving temperature. Nine wine-cooling presets take the guesswork out of choosing the right temperature, but the chamber temperature can also be adjusted manually for those who prefer more control. Once the wine has chilled, guests simply push a button for the kind they would like, and the unit gracefully dispenses it into their glass–no need to hire a bartender. The machine also comes equipped with patented vacuum technology that preserves open bottles for up to 10 days, so wine stays fresh and flavorful. Other highlights include an intuitive control panel, digital temperature display for each chamber, and interior lighting that shows off the wine-bottle labels. With its sleek, metropolitan design, the wine system measures 11.625 by 21-1/4 by 23.875 inches.

-

Wine is one of the most popular drinks on the planet, its always good to have elegant and stylish wine glasses to serve your wine in.  One of the best types of wine glasses available are etched wine glasses.  These glasses are great if you plan to have guests over and you want to make a good impression.

Etched wine glasses are always unique and definitely always make a statement at any gathering. Whether you are having a formal or casual get together, etched wine glasses will be perfect for the occasion. Not only that but they are also very affordable and so you do not have to worry about spending a fortune on them.

Where to Look?

If you want to find some nice etched wine glasses, one place you should check out is Toms Glass Works. This is a company that offers a great selection of wine glasses in general, and all for very affordable prices. They offer etching and engraving services that truly beat out the rest of the bunch, so you know you will be getting the very best quality each and every time. 

One other excellent company to look into is Blasted Bottles. They offer a distinctive product as well, that is sure to satisfy the most sofisticated shopper. Look over their well designed and easy to navigate website to see their entire collection.

These etched glasses make the perfect gift for someone’s birthday, anniversary or Christmas, and the best thing about them is that you can personalize them so it will be something that they will treasure forever

Do Your Research

Shopping online has become commonplace and convenient but always use caution.  It is important to research the company you will be doing business with before giving any sensitive information.

When in doubt, do not even give out your phone number online, let alone your credit card information.  There are some great online shops that offer very competitive prices and you can end up with an excellent product.

wine country

If you have ever been wine tasting, then you know, for that moment in time, it gives you the feeling for the finer things in life. Imagine having that feeling all the time and investing in high value items in the same instance. You can do just that by investing in fine wines. The best wines, especially if they are in high demand, will be a worthy investment for the person looking to have a good time and earn money.

Before you start purchasing any ol’ bottle of wine you will want to learn everything you can about wine. There are a few ways you can go about this. You can choose to do it on your own. Gather up some books and learn the basics on how vintage wines are made, everything from genetics of the vine to the climate. All of this will be important when choosing your fine wines. You can also employ the expertise of someone called a sommelier, which is a person who purchases high-end wines for restaurants and clubs. Having a sommelier at your beck and call can be handy after you have begun investing as well.

There is no telling where investing in fine wines will take you when you have all the right knowledge and tools. If you are interested in French wines, then maybe it will take you to France. Keep in mind that you will want to choose one particular area of wine country and keep your investments within that region. You can decide by visiting different places and learning about their procedures and more importantly, their reputations. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Wine makers are usually more than happy to explain their processes and to tell how regarded their vintage wines are.

When buying a relatively new wine, are you sure it is vintage or is meant to be aged for many years? Many wines today are meant to be consumed, not shelved. Are you certain that the high priced wine you are about to buy is truly vintage or is it just a passing fad? Price does not always mean quality. These are all things you should keep in mind when investing in fine wines. If you are smart and learn what to look out for, while at the same time building up knowledge of the wine choices from around the world, then you will do just fine with your new investment!

We all hear about wine storage, but what about storing our wine glasses? It is just as important that you have proper wine glass rack, not only to keep your wine glasses from getting chipped or broken, but also to display them in an attractive and decorative way. Especially if you have gone all out and bought yourself some high quality wine glasses, of course you are going to want to show them off. There are many excellent options when it comes to wine glass rack, and the first step is to become more educated on the selection and on which wine glass rack devices will be most suitable to you.

Wine Glass Racks

One of the best ways to store your wine glasses is on a wine rack. A wine rack like this will not only be stable and hold your wine glasses safely, but will also be decorative and add an elegant touch to your home décor. These racks are available in a variety of different sizes and colors, and you will have to consider your own needs in order to choose the one that will work best for you.

The wall wine rack is usually available as a wooden piece and it is designed in a manner that makes it easy to fit it into a shelf, or it may even is laced beneath a cabinet. The upshot of buying a wine glass rack is that it is available in many styles and so you can choose to keep them on a table top though in such an instance, the numbers of glasses held will only be a few. It may be a better idea to go in for a wine glass rack that can be hung from the ceiling because such a rack will also hold additional glasses, besides saving space.

Hanging Wine Glass Rack

It is also common to find very stylish wine hanging wine glass racks that are also very suitable for holding wine glasses made out of crystals and which gives a very elegant appearance and which are charming and which also add value to the home. However, many people prefer the traditional wooden wine glass rack, which is more conventional in its looks and which lends an air of solidity as well as is old fashioned.

The hanging wine glass rack is also very functional and once the wine glasses have been washed, they can then be slid back into the rack where they can dry and thus lessens your worries. The hanging wine glass rack can also enhance your kitchen where it makes an excellent decoration piece and which is also easy as far as space requirements go, since you can always choose to have a small wine glass rack when space is at a premium.

You will truly appreciate taking the time to provide your wine glasses with the proper rack devices, as it will keep them from chipping, cracking, and getting fogged up. You can even buy the proper materials and make a rack box yourself, just make sure that it is durable and will be protective for your wine glasses.

We don’t often think of Michigan as a wine producing State do we, but look at the facts:

• Michigan has 13,500 acres of vineyards making Michigan the fourth largest grape-growing state.

• All of this acreage is devoted to juice grapes such as Concord and Niagara.

• About 700 hectares are devoted to wine grapes, making Michigan the eighth in wine grape production.

• Vineyard area has increased 24% since 1997.

• Michigan’s 45 commercial wineries produce more than 200,000 cases of wine annually, making the state 13th in wine production. Over 95% of the production is from Michigan-grown grapes.

• Wineries are popular tourist destinations, attracting more than 600,000 visitors annually. Some of these wineries also have retail stores where it’s possible to purchase anything from a wine cellar kit to a wine cooler refrigerator.

• Wine production and winery tourism annually contribute $75 million to the state’s economy.

• Three types of grapes are used for wine in Michigan:

• • Vinifera varieties — these are the classic European varieties such as Chardonnay, Riesling (the most widely planted white), Pinot Noir (the most widely planted red), Pinot Grigio/Gris and Cabernet Franc; 58% of Michigan’s wine grapes are vinifera. Since 1998, 71% of the new plantings in Michigan have been vinifera varieties.

• • Hybrid varieties (sometimes called French/American hybrids) — these are botanical crosses between vinifera varieties and grapes native to North America. Typical names are Vidal, Chambourcin, Marechal Foch and Vignoles; 41% of Michigan’s wine grapes are hybrids.

• • Native varieties — actually close relatives of true native varieties. Usual names are Concord and Niagara. Only 3% of Michigan’s wine is made from these hybrids.

• Most of Michigan’s quality wine grapes grow within 25 miles of Lake Michigan. Here, the “lake effect” protects the vines with snow in winter, retards bud break in spring helping avoid frost damage, and extends the growing season by up to four weeks.

• Michigan has deemed four federally approved viticultural areas (AVAs). In the northwest part of the state, near Traverse City, lie the Leelanau Peninsula and the Old Mission Peninsula. This area has a growing season averaging 145 days and an average heat accumulation of 2,350 growing degree days; 51% of Michigan’s wine grapes grow here. In the southwest part of the state lie the Lake Michigan Shore and Fennville appellations, where 45% of Michigan’s wine grapes are grown. This area has a growing season averaging 160 days and an average heat accumulation of 2,750 heat units or sometimes called growing degree days. Each are Region 6 on the USDA plant hardiness zone map.

• Harvest begins for early hybrid varieties at the end of late August in the southwest and may extend into mid November for late-ripening vinifera varieties in the northwest.

• Michigan wines win numerous medals at prestigious competitions every year. More than 16% of the wines entered in the Michigan Wine & Spirits Competition had already won Gold Medals in regional, national and international competitions. A list of winners is available upon request.

• Michigan wineries make many styles of wine, from dry to sweet including Ice Wine, sparkling, fortified, fruit wines and eau-de-vie (fruit brandy).

• Michigan wines are usually “cool climate” – clean, crisp, balanced wines that exhibit real varietal charact.
• Michigan Wines are very popular choices in the offerings of Wine Clubs
  where you set up a monthly subscription to order wine online

Next time you’re savoring your favorite Chardonnay, check the label. It just may not have originated in California!

Since Absinthe is once again legal in many countries around the world, people are asking “What are the effects of Absinthe?”, “Will it make me trip?”, “Will this cause me to see the Green Fairy?”.

Absinthe is a mythical drink with many legends and stories surrounding it. Created in Switzerland as an elixir or tonic by Dr Pierre Ordinaire, Absinthe quickly became a best selling alcoholic beverage when Henri-Louis Pernod started distilling it in France. In fact, it overtook beer, cider and even wine as the most popular drink in France in the period known as La Belle Epoque, the golden age leading up to the First World War.

Among the famous drinkers of the Green Fairy was Oscar Wilde who said “After the first glass of Absinthe you see things as you wish they were. Next you see them as they are not. And in the end, you finally see things as they really are, and that is the most horrible thing in the world.”

Pernod made Absinthe from a base of wine which he then flavored with natural herbal ingredients such as wormwood, fennel, aniseed, star anise, veronica, dittany, lemon balm, hyssop, nutmeg, angelica and dittany. Some manufacturers used additional herbs such as coriander, calamus root and mint.

So, what are the effects of Absinthe?

Absinthe was popular in the time known as “The Great Binge”, a time when beverages which contained cocaine were popular and heroin was thought safe to use in medicine. It was linked to other types of drugs and was thought to be psychoactive and to cause:-

– Hallucinations
– Extreme or hyper excitibility
– Spasms and convulsions
– Weakening of the intellect
– Insanity
– Addiction
– Causes of brain damage
– Violence
– Death

Artistic types consumed Absinthe to help them gain inspiration and many artists and writers said they it was responsible for their genius. Famous Absinthe poetry.

Absinthe, so the prohibition led people to believe, was going to drive the French people insane, make them immoral and cause the collapse of the nation. After doctors tested wormwood and thujone, the chemical in wormwood, they claimed that it was like cannabis and could cause epileptic fits. The prohibition movement blamed Absinthe for causing a young man to murder his whole family after only consuming a few glasses. The consumption of Absinthe was also famously blamed for Van Gogh cutting off his own ear and for his suicide.

Absinthe was thought to contain huge amounts of thujone, up to 350mg per liter but high tech tests on vintage bottles have proved these claims to be completely false. Absinthe contained a small amounts, up to 6mg, not enough to cause anyone to even hallucinate a little. Studies show that Absinthe is just as safe as any other alcoholic drink.

I’m afraid that Absinthe won’t help you to see green fairies but it is a very strong drink, up to 75% alcohol by volume, and so will get you drunk rather quickly and easily. The mysterious blend of alcohol and herbs in Absinthe will give you a strange drunken experience, a “lucid” or “clear headed” drunkenness – a completely new experience!

What are some of the effects of Absinthe? Well, there are no bad effects except if you overdo it and perhaps get a hangover. Absinthe is a drink to be enjoyed slowly and to make you have a feeling of well being. Buy Absinthe of good quality which contains real wormwood or make your own with essences from AbsintheKit.come and enjoy the exciting taste of the Green Fairy. Absinthe kits are available from http://absinthekit.com/.

Setting up your own bar is actually quite easy to do.  There are however, a few things that good bartenders need to know to run a bar efficiently.  In order for a bar to succeed, you’ll need to have the basic wines, liquors, and spirits – along with the right equipment.  Although these things are essential, bartenders also need the proper technique for mixing drinks and cocktails as well.

With bartending, the location of the bar is very important.  The bar should be placed in an area that is easy to reach and provides plenty of space behind it.  There should be plenty of room for glasses and drinks, along with a chair or two as well.  The bartender has to learn the area behind the bar, and know everything about it.  Bartenders need to know their area well – and how to perform their mixing duties when business heats up.

Another job bartenders have is knowing their drinks.  Bartenders are responsible for serving and mixing drinks, which is a wide variety to say the least.  It can be nearly impossible to know every possible drink mixture, why is why most bartenders use mixing lists hidden under the bar to help them know what goes in each drink.

Bartenders don’t have a lot of time to mix drinks, which makes it nearly impossible to read each and every label.To come out of this situation, the best thing would be to arrange you alcohol and drinks properly, so that you know where everything is.  This way, when business picks up and you find yourself short on time – you’ll know where everything is.

To become a successful bartender, or mixologist, it takes years of practice.  There are several styles of bartending as well, including the well known and very impressive flair style.  Flair bartending involves very impressive techniques and tricks, which will leave customers truly amazed.  Flair is the hardest style of bartending to perfect, taking years and years of practice.  Flair bartenders all around the world will tell you that flair brings the most crowds – although it can also cost a lot of money in broken bottles along the way!

Each and every bar should also have the basic spirits, such as Tequila, Vodka, Rum, and Gin.  There should be also be fruit juices on hand as well, such as lemon juice, orange juice, and even pineapple juice.Mixed drinks are most of the times alcoholic drinks mixed with some juice- the perfect example is screwdriver that contains Vodka and orange juice.  Mixed drinks are very popular, making it essential for the bartender to be a good mixologist – and have the right materials on hand at all times.

A lot of drinks that bartenders mix will require special gadgets such as shakers, measuring cups, rinsing bowls, and straws.  Shakers are the most commonly used gadget, as they are essential for mixing alcohol.  Bartenders will also need to keep cloth on hand as well, to quickly clean up spills and wipe down the mixing area from time to time.

As a career, bartending can provide you with a lot of money.  If you go to college and learn the techniques required for bartending, you can make more money than you ever thought possible.  The job is high paying, a lot of fun, and a great way to meet new people.  There are a lot of colleges and universities that offer bartending, or you can study online.  No matter which way you go – bartending will be a lot of fun and will take you far in life as an exciting career.

The Californian wine makers E&J Gallo think they have spotted a gap in the market and have made a wine range aimed at men.Wine has long been considered a market dominated by women but Gallo feel with good marketing they can cut out a male niche. The new range signifies a new direction in their business model, after they recently stated they are looking to decrease the volume of wine they sell in 2009 by canceling some of their discount offer deals with retailers. Instead they aim to provide more sturdy “reliable” red and white wines that people can buy and know exactly what they will be getting.

The ‘Redwood Creek’ range is aimed at 35-65 year old men who have an enthusiasm for the great outdoors.It is not aiming to venture into the extreme sports of even very active sports markets but instead aims at appealing to those who they would consider “active in nature”.Outdoor pursuits that Gallo has said their new wines are inspired by include fishing, camping, hunting and hiking. They have already created links with the woodland trust, the Tourist Board of California,Riedel Glass and clothing label ‘Regatta’. The method of partnering with other strong companies is a tactic that has worked well in the States and they hope this will carry over the UK.

The new range of wines includes a simple Chardonnay and a couple of reds, a Merlot and a Cabernet Sauvignon.  Iain Newell marketing director for Europe has said that the new wine charms the very soul, with a rugged quality and a rich taste. “They will be everything you associate with nature and activity” comments Newell, “freshness, passion and full flavours” are all qualities that this wine boasts.There was a lot of time and effort put into the research for this project and if early US sales reports are anything to go by, it was well worth it.

A number of non-wine drinkers have been thrown by a common misconception about Vintage Wine. They believe the notion that because a wine has been labeled as a vintage wine, that it is better quality and taste. A Vintage wine is a wine that has been produced using grapes grown and harvested in one particular year.

The idea may have originated from the producers of Vintage Port in who make ports based off grapes from certain years, which are later analyzed and the ‘good years’ are then decided. These ‘good batches’ are then labeled as ‘Vintage Ports’ by each winery, indicating a particularly good batch.

Vintage wines do share some aspects of the labeling but it is not exactly the same. While they do use grapes from one year only, labeling it as a vintage does not guarantee that it is a good wine, it is more used to simple display what year the grapes were used. The wine community then samples the wines and connoisseurs then debate over the quality and which years yielded the best wines.

To add to this, Vintage wines do not actually have to be 100% made from grapes from that year. In areas such as Chilie and South Africa, Vintage wines can consist of 75% grapes from that year and up. In other countries such as Australia, New Zealand, America and the EU, they are required to be 85% and up.
The other types of wine, which are just called ‘non-vintage’ wines, can be made from grapes form harvests over two or more years. This is done by wine makers who are seeking to create and retain a consistent style of wine from year to year.

In the past when grape growing was heavily reliant on the weather, different years produced different quality wines, however with modern farming and irrigation, wineries can now grow consistent harvests every year, however this has done little to stem the debate amongst wine fans over vintage labeling.

Follow the link for more information on vintage wine cellars.