Wine Storage

Wine Storage
Have you ever wondered where the term "wino" came from? It
is an offensive term that dates back to the Victorian Era
to refer to a poor drunkard. Wine was cheap and considered
a poor mans drink; hence, wino referring to a drunk poor
homeless man. Whether this origin is true or not, wine has
somehow climbed up the prosperity ladder. In the last
decade, wine has become so trendy that wine connoisseurs
are standard at most fine restaurants. Furthermore, wine is
not just a drink to drown your sorrows, wine also is an
investment. To protect ones investment, wine storage has
become big business and it is used by wine many enthusiasts.

Wine storage is used by restaurateurs, wine connoisseurs,
investors, and anyone who enjoys a good bottle of wine.
Restaurants buy wine by the bulk and need wine storage for
their wine surplus. Since most restaurants don't have
storage space or proper wine storage facilities,
restaurateurs use wine storage at a self storage business
for wine preservation. Connoisseurs know how to appreciate
a good bottle of wine. As experts, they feel the need to
care for a good bottle of wine like a mechanic takes care
of his car. To preserve the wine's bouquet and the wine's
body, wine connoisseurs recommend wine storage. Everyone
knows that wine gets better with age, so does the value of
some wines. Wine investors know this. Also, they know how
to protect their investment by using wine storage. Like
baseball cards, if you don't preserve your wine collection
well, it will lose its value. Wine storage is like sleeves
for baseball cards. Lastly, you don't have to be a wine
guru to use wine storage . Wine storage is available to
anyone with a large or small wine collection. You might be
planning a party and need wine storage as a temporary place
to hold your wine bottles. In fact, a wine layperson can
order wine and have it delivered to the wine storage
business.

So what is the difference between wine storage and storing
wine at home? Wine storage is designed specifically for
wine. Each renters wine storage unit is individually locked
in private vaults. Wine storage is climate controlled at 55
degrees Fahrenheit with 60 percent humidity and low light
exposure. These are the perfect condition that any wine
guru will recommend. Unlike Vodka and whisky, wine is a
perishable good. There is insufficient alcohol in wine to
keep it well preserved.

It's common knowledge, like birds fly, that wine gets
better with age. But not all birds fly, and not all wine
gets better with age; especially, if wine storage is not
properly prepared. Also, like all living creatures, wine
reaches a point maturity point; then it starts to
deteriorate. But if you properly take care of your wine
like the human body, it will last much longer. If you
bought a bottle of Chteau La Mondotte Saint-Emilion 1996,
you probably spent around $608. If you own a bottle of Dom.
Romane Conti 1997 you spent over $1,540. That is a lot of
money to spend for a quick buzz. But that's not the reason
why you spent that much, is it? Protect your investment and
use a wine storage unit near your.

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http://blog.royaltyuniverse.com/

I Love German Wine and Food - A Mosel Qualitaetswein

I Love German Wine and Food - A Mosel Qualitaetswein
If you are looking for fine German wine and food, consider
the Mosel region of central western Germany on the border
of Luxembourg. You may find a bargain, and I hope that
you'll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour in
which we review a local white Qualitaetswein (read
inexpensive) Riesling.

The Mosel Valley is felt to be one of the most beautiful
river valleys in the world. This region, previously called
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer in honor of its three rivers, is famous
for its Riesling wine. Some of the greatest Rieslings in
Germany and in fact in the entire world come from the Mosel
Valley. Experts can often identify Mosel Rieslings because
of the slate in the local soil, which may impart a taste of
flint. The slopes are among the steepest in the
wine-producing world, and sometimes attain 70 degrees. The
soil is so precious that every spring local workers lug
pails of soil up these steep slopes, temporarily reversing
the effect of the rains that wash the soil down every
winter.

Mosel ranks number five among the thirteen German wine
regions when it comes to both vineyard acreage and total
wine production. Slightly over three quarters of the
regional wine is classified as QbA and somewhat less than
one quarter is higher quality QmP wine. Only one percent is
table wine. More than half of Mosel wine is Riesling. The
German hybrid white grape variety Mueller-Thurgau
represents about 20% of the wine production. In third place
is the historic Elbing that dates back to Roman times. Only
about 2% of Mosel wine is red.

The Mosel Valley pretty well stretches from Koblenz which
isn't far from Germany's former capital Bonn to the city of
Trier sitting very close to the border with Luxemburg.
These two cities are linked by the Mosel Weinstrasse (Mosel
Wine Road) approximately 140 miles (224 kilometers) long on
the eastern side of the river and somewhat less on the
western side. Of course, you could take the autobahn to
travel between Koblenz and Trier at breakneck speed. If you
do, you'll miss the interesting little towns and vineyards
along the way.

Cochem lies about one third of the way from Koblenz to
Trier. It's a fine little Mosel River Valley town. This
medieval town is long and narrow. You should take a boat
trip as well as a walking tour. Outside the town gate is
the Kaiser Wilhelm railway tunnel, which at 2.5 miles (4
kilometers) is the longest in all Germany. About fifteen
minutes of walking get you to the Reichsburg (Imperial
Fortress), a thousand year old castle that overlooks
Cochem. The castle hosts a medieval banquet which features
period costumes and music on Fridays and Saturdays but you
must reserve in advance. North of the city is a larger
castle, the Burg Eltz a few miles inland from the Mosel.

Before reviewing the Mosel wine and imported cheeses that
we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and
a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of
what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this
beautiful region. Start with Aalsuppe (Eel Soup). For your
second course enjoy Rolladen (Beef rolls with Bacon and
Pickles). As a dessert indulge yourself with Moselweintorte
(Chocolate and Wine Cake).

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review
are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed Moselland Bernkasteler Kurfurstlay 2005 9.5%
alcohol about $8.50

Let's start by quoting the marketing materials. Tasting
Note: Pale straw yellow colour; citrus, mineral and dried
apricot aromas and flavours; balanced with crisp acidity in
the finish. Serving Suggestion: Serve chilled with pork,
turkey or appetizers. Spicy asian dishes.

My first pairing was with a homemade pizza with lots of
tomato sauce, vegetables, and cheese but no meat. This wine
displayed refreshing acidity that worked well with the
pizza sauce. It had good fruit and was surprisingly long.

The next meal included a barbecued chicken marinated in a
commercial Mediterranean-style light sauce, red-skinned
potatoes, and a somewhat spicy Turkish salad. The wine's
acidity cut the fat very well and yet complemented the
tomato's own acidity which largely defined the salad. This
little and lightly alcoholic wine (9.5% when 13% plus seems
to be the new norm) was quite assertive, especially with
the potatoes. And yet it was somewhat flat with dessert,
some orange fruit-juice candy.

The final meal was whole-wheat pasta in a sauce that
started our as your basic commercial pasta sauce and then
livened up by a fried medley of garlic, red onions, red and
green peppers, topped with anchovies and shredded (local)
Asiago cheese. The wine was light and fruity and the
combination was quite tasty. I was happy that this Riesling
was low-alcohol (and inexpensive) so that I could drink
quite a bit without any negative effects, including to my
pocketbook.

The initial cheese pairing was with a mild Italian Pecorino
Fruilano. The wine was sweet but didn't impress me very
much. Then I tried it with a nutty Dutch Edam cheese. Once
again the wine was sweet but it was round and the
combination went quite well.

Final verdict. Great bargain. The wine really goes well
with simple food. I didn't get a chance to try it with
gourmet specialties but wouldn't be surprised if it did as
well as many wines including Rieslings at twice the price.
If I didn't have so many wines to taste (talk about
problems) I'd buy half a case and drink one every two
months or so. Then I'd try one from the next vintage and
hope to repeat the process.

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Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on
computers and the Internet, but he prefers drinking fine
Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods and
people. He knows about dieting but now eats and drinks what
he wants, in moderation. He teaches classes in computers at
an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his
Italian travel website http://www.travelitalytravel.com
which focuses on local wine and food.

Are Bread Machines Worth the Cost?

Are Bread Machines Worth the Cost?
If you and your family love the taste of homemade bread,
but you just don't have the time to do all that mixing and
stirring and kneading, then maybe you should consider
purchasing a handy little kitchen appliance called a bread
machine. This machine will make baking home made bread so
much easier, and so convenient you'll bake bread for your
family more often. Your bread machine will do most of the
work for you. A basic machine mixes, kneads and handles
the rising process, as well as bakes and shapes your bread.
The hardest part for you is pouring in the ingredients,
and pushing buttons. If you can work a microwave, you can
work a bread machine.

When you decide you would like to have a bread machine in
your kitchen, be sure you shop around for the one that's
right for you. Have an idea of how much you are looking to
spend, these machines can run anywhere from below $60 to
over $180, according to what brand, and what features you
are looking for. Some have timers and delay buttons, while
some don't, there is also the option of a crust setting
which enables you to have light, medium, or dark crust on
your bread loaf. You also need to know what type of breads
you will be baking in your machine. If your family prefers
wheat bread, be sure the machine you are purchasing has a
cycle for this. Some bread machines have an extra special
cycle for baking cakes and jams. So be sure to consider
the cycles you want to have on your bread machine, before
purchasing it. It' also a good idea to check for a cool
down cycle, to prevent your bread loaf from becoming soggy,
if you can't be there to remove it after the baking process
is over. Most machines have a keep warm cycle to prevent
sogginess, but some have a tendency to dry up the bread.

There are some downsides to bread machines, some have
special compartments for nuts and fruits, while although a
great idea, may sometimes cause clogging, so it would be
wise to watch for this and keep compartments clean. You
can purchase bread machines that will produce different
sizes and shapes of loaves, square, round and the
traditional rectangle. Another important feature to look
for is a removable bread pan or slide out tray for easy
cleanup. Like your toaster, crumbs can gather and build
up, so they need to be cleaned often. I would suggest
after every use, so as not to let the crumbs accumulate.

Like any appliance you plan to purchase for your kitchen,
you should consider the size. You want to get a bread
machine that is appropriate for your kitchen, not one that
takes up all your extra counter space and be sure to check
all the features and see if they fit your needs. Make sure
your machine comes with a manual giving you instructions
for operating your bread machine, because there are some
models on the market that don't. You can choose to go for
the cheaper model or the more expensive, the choice is up
to you, but just remember, you get what you pay for.

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Reviews and guides on purchasing bread machines
http://bread-machines.info
Articles and Resources on Baking Bread
http://baking-bread.net