Enjoying Wines

Archive for August, 2009

If you enjoy a beer and you like to experiment with different beer tastes, you would probably love brewing your own. It can be a very fun experience, not only savoring the beer after it is brewed, but the entire process.

The simplest way for you to start this hobby is to pick up one of the beer kits that are widely available, either online or at a local store which stocks these items. There are a few options for you to keep in mind, however, whenever you pick one of these kits.

The first thing you need to consider is whether it is your first time brewing beer or if you have been doing it for some time. The reason why is that many of the starter beer kits will provide you with absolutely everything you need in order to get a batch started.

If you have brewed before, you more than likely don’t need some of the basic materials that come in such a kit. Hence, it is a good idea to get a complete starter kit when you’re first starting, and thereafter to just supplement with smaller kits on later batches.

There are also several choices that you’re going to have to make which will determine the type of beer that you are going to get. While most of us have a favorite type of beer that we enjoy, it’s always exciting to experiment with different tastes to see what kind of results we get. By making a few small changes within the beer kits, you can change the entire batch, yielding interesting to fabulous results.

Finally, you want to keep in mind when you are looking at beer kits — only a few of them are going to provide bottles, bottle caps and the bottle capper. Although you’ll have time to get these items while your beer is brewing, it is a good idea to consider buying them at the same time as your beer kit. That way, you will make sure that you have everything necessary to bottle the beer when it’s finished.

A couple of years ago while passing through the Yarra Valley, my husband and I came upon a winery that has now become one of the great wineries of the Yarra Valley wine region. Elmswood Estate winery is located in the Seville region, about 45 minutes east of Melbourne and is definitely worth a visit, not only for its fine wines, tasty food and friendly staff, but the great views of the Warburton Ranges.

When driving into this winery, there’s no indication of what lies beyond the vines and the building that houses the cellar door and offices, but once you enter the car park, the view that awaits will take your breath away. There is a glassed in pavilion that allows customers to have a glass of wine or enjoy some lunch all year round, while also allowing the view to take centre stage. Tables and chairs as well as wooden benches also allow for al fresco dining during the hotter weather.

Elmswood Estate offers many different varieties of high quality boutique wines, while regularly keeping up with consumer demand in introducing more wine to their range. Their well known and very popular wines include a sparkling Methode Champenoise, Oaked and Un-Oaked Chardonnay, Cabernet Rose, Cabernet Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot while introducing in the past couple of years varieties such as  Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Pinot and Liquor Chardonnay and Cabernet styles. Everyone has a favourite, but for a great combination, you can’t go past the Oaked Chardonnay accompanied by a cheese platter.

As dining in the Yarra Valley has become increasingly popular, Elmswood has remained a destination for enjoying tasty food for lunch on weekends. They offer a large range of options for lunch and even have no nonsense meals for the kids. If you want to graze with a cheese platter while enjoying a glass or two of Elmswoods finest, or decide that something more filling is in order, such as the popular duck and pinot pie, or a steak sandwich, you won’t be disappointed with your food choice.

It is worth mentioning that Elmswood Estate has become one of the best wineries for functions and weddings. With everything it has to offer, it is one of the most popular venue for weddings and required booking long in advance of that special date. The staff at Elmswood Estate can assist with planning for the special day and offer services that include onsite catering and table arrangements, as well as providing the contact details for a number of entertainment and transport options.

Elmswood Estate Winery can cater to almost any need, from a quiet day out at the wineries, to a full day of wedding/birthday celebrations.  Breathtaking views, delicious food, friendly staff and of course, quality wines,  what more could you ask for?

Over the years there has been both negative and positive findings for the effects of drinking wine on the body. To be honest, most people are aware of the negative effects of drinking wine and are pretty happy when something positive is found. For example, when it was proven that drinking the odd glass of red wine thinned the blood and reduced the risk of heart attack, you could practically here the corks popping around the country. Now there maybe another reason to dust of the glassware as scientists have found that wine actually aids digestive function.

A research study was conducted in Manchester, England over a period of two months and monitored peoples digestive functioning when they consumed various quantities of red, white and rosé wine.The results concluded that digestive functioning was enhanced in those subjects who consumed a glass of wine for each evening that the study ran. Red wine came out the winner, but the other types also had a positive effect when drunk in moderation.  Unfortunately, champagne did not seem to help digestion so you can put those champagne glasses away again for the time being. Further more, you will have to limit your wine consumption as the report showed any more than 1 glass per day had a negative effect on digestion.

Despite the fact that wine has diuretic qualities, it has been argued that it improves digestive transit by relaxing the muscles that surround the walls of the intestine and stomach. This means that food can pass through the body easier and nutrients are absorbed more effectively.You should however note that this research study monitored people for only a short amount of time and we do not know what the effects were long term.  The overruling advice seems to be that you can enjoy the odd glass of wine without too much issue and it may even be good for you, but if you start feeling unwell or find youself drinking your wine out of glass vases then you may need to see a doctor