Crafts, crafts, crafts!

Hello Everyone!

After all of the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I decided to make a cork craft for myself. Today I finished my very first wine cork wreath! It looks awesome, and I am very proud of my accomplishment.

The Process:
I started the wreath with a styrofoam circle base. Using toothpicks, I placed probably about 100 corks! I also added a few bundles of grapes to add more dimension to the wreath.

Although I made the wreath for my grandpa, I have mixed feelings about parting with my masterpiece. Although the wreath hardly made a dent in my cork collection, a part of me feels a sentimental connection with my corks! Crazy I know, but when you have travel around the world like I have, you aren’t sure the next time you’ll get a wine cork from a Cab Sav in France or an Ice Wine from Switzerland.

I plan on crafting tomorrow! My goal is to make the wine cork sphere, and a cork board for my room.

Check back soon for pictures and more updates!

Final Project

This blog was created for a class that I took this past semester at Miami University. However, sadly, the semester has come to an end and I am not really sure how well I will keep this blog updated in the coming months. For my final project of this semester, I created a wine magazine for students of Miami University.

The magazine discusses drinking wine in college, and other related topics. I’ve attached the project, and I hope that people check it out. I am thrilled with the final product. It was printed in a mini version, making the zine even more appealing to people my age.

wine uncorked.

Tour de Franzia

I‘m sure that most people have heard of beer drinking games, but have you ever heard of drinking games for wine? Well, la Tour de Franzia is a popular one!

Rules: Players divide into teams of at least 2 people. Each group is given a 5L box of Franzia. Each team should have different flavors, but it is not necessary. When the time starts, players are supposed to trade turns to finish the box of wine. The object is to be the first team to finish a box.

I have heard of several variations of this game. Some include people actually traveling to different locations and drinking, while others just require players to quickly drink the whole box.

Whichever game you decide to play, just caution and responsibility while playing. Because wine will be consumed in a short amount of time, it is important for the players to exercise control, and to know their limits while drinking.

If you know more drinking games involving wine, leave a comment and get the word out about them!

Give the gift of wine gadgets

With the holiday season near, it is time to begin thinking about gift giving. Wine lovers always appreciate nifty gizmos that enhance the taste of their wine. Many wine gizmos range from inexpensive to expensive, depending on how much money you decide to spend on the lucky person.

1. Vinturi Wine Aerator – Lately, I have seen a lot of advertisements for the wine accelerator. This device decreases the amount of time a person has to wait for the wine to fully develop once it has been uncorked. With this, wine is poured through the device, and air is instantly brought to the wine, bringing out its full flavor. Many places sell the item, however, I have seen QVC endorse it a lot. On www.qvc.com the product is $33.12 and will be shipped directly to your home, or the recipients home. The price also includes a stand. Any wine connoisseur knows that the amount of air in wine is essential to the taste.

2. Rabbit Wine Opener – The latest, effortless, wine opener has taken America by storm. With this cork screw, no strength is needed. A bottle of wine is uncorked with two simple motions, a push of the handle down, and then pull up. It’s easy. These openers do range in price though. The price depends on the amount of accessories that come with the opener. Some include a cutter, for the wrapping, and sometimes even a stopper for those unfinished bottles of wine. Many retail stores sell these, including: TJ Maxx, World Market, Williams-Sonoma, QVC, almost anywhere. Before purchase be sure to investigate the features, and the warranty to guarantee the best price. Rabbit wine openers range from $30 – upward.

3. The Wine Deck – If there is someone on your list that is just beginning to love wine, this is the perfect gift. The Wine Deck is a deck of cards with descriptions of many wines, and flavors. This gives the beginning wine drinker an idea of what wines are best to pair with what foods. The cards also explain the differences between wines. This can be bought at www.wine.com for $13.99. A very inexpensive gift. No better way to get a young drinker exposed to wine than with this!

4. CLEF DU VIN – This tool helps enthusiasts who can’t wait for wine to age, speed the aging process. With this tool, wine ages 1 year for every second it touches the wine. Amazing. Supposedly it has been scientifically proven and tested…so you can be the judge. The price isn’t cheap though, regularly $105, now on sale for $85. Check out http://www.wineaccessory.com/clef.htm for more information, and to decide for yourself if you want to chance this, or give this as a gift to a friend.

Those are just a few options that I have seen recently available as wine accessories. During the holiday season, or for any gift giving occasion, giving a wine accessory is often very practical. Many people enjoy trying these weird inventions to see if they actually work! I’ll probably have more posts soon about other accessories that are currently popular.

My pick this year is the Wine Aerator. I think this will definitely help with the flavor of wine. I’m actually debating whether or not to buy one myself, but I have seen several promos about it, and it is quite tempting! Last year, I thought the rabbit wine openers were popular, however, I still think that many people are still just beginning to use them. The rabbit openers are wonderful, although I still love a traditional foldable cork screw. As with everything, it’s about preference.

Happy shopping!

Home Wine Cellars

Wine coolers are essential for storing wine. It is important to research the features before purchasing.

Anyone who has a wine collection needs the proper place to store their wine investments. A wine cellar ensures proper aging of wine. Since the first wine refridgerator’s were introduced, the features have evolved. Not only are wine coolers a focal point of many kitchens or bars, but they also are very functional.

To begin with, wine refrigerators are an essential item that every wine lover must own! A wine fridge would make the perfect gift because there are many different options, ranging in prices inexpensive to more expensive. Some models are small only chilling up to 4 bottles of wine, while others are larger and can hold hundreds. The thing to keep in mind when buying a wine fridge is: how much wine do I need to have chilled at one time? Many studies say to double this number because your collection will grow with time.

Other features within the fridge can include: an alarm/locking system, a glass or solid door, and shelving. A lot of people have wine collections that are expensive and rare, therefore it is essential for them to be locked. Having glass on the door can affect wine in two ways. The first, it does not cool the wine as well because it is not as insulated. The second is that light can often damage wine. Even though glass doors look nice to display a collection, it can often damage the wine due to light exposure. In regards to shelving, some wine coolers have shelves that slide to make it easier to read labels. Other, more inexpensive models have shelves that are fixed in place.

Before purchasing a wine refrigerator be sure and research all of the options available. If you are someone who does not necessarily care about the quality of the wine, then the amount of vibration the fridge has will not matter as much to you as someone who invests in wine. A lot of information is available on the Internet; check out http://www.foodandwine.com for more about the information I discussed.

Drinking wine…It’s an art!

A person cannot become a wine conneseour overnight. It takes years of practice and knowledge. Here are some tips and guidelines to help you stand out from all of the other wine drinkers.

Ensure that the wine is properly chilled. White wine should be chilled in the fridge for at least an hour before serving and red wine needs to be at room temperature. However, the red does not need to be too warm. In some cases, it is okay to chill it for a little bit.

After the wine has been properly prepared, it is time to drink the wine. First, uncork the wine, and sniff it. After the wine has been uncorked, pour a glass, and let it stand for a bit. The flavors meet to reach oxygen, and fully develop. The older the wine, the longer the time it needs to stand (in hours).

Right before you drinking the wine, take a breath. When you’re drinking you are not only tasting but smelling. The smell contributes to the taste. Finally, take a sip, and notice the flavors that you are enjoying!

Drink the rest of your wine.

Buy a case, saves you money

With the downfall in the current economy, many people are looking for ways to save a couple of dollars. One way to do this is by buying wine by the case as apposed to individual bottles of wine. Often times, stores will sell wine that can be bought by the case for 20% off from the original mark up. By buying the whole case, you are able to stock up, and save money.

Many people are probably not interested in buying cases of wine because they do not want to purchase all of the same flavor or brand. Usually, stores will allow customers to mix and match varieties to create a case. The case will save you as the consumer money multiple times. You will even be saving on the amount of gas you put in your car because you will be making less trips to the store to buy wine! This situation is a win-win.

Wine is always good to have around when guests stop by. If you stock up on bottles by purchasing a case next time you are out, you will have plenty to entertain your unexpected friends with through the holiday season. Not having wine at an unexpected gathering is like not having the jello mold at a church function. It’s something that you just have to have!

So there you go, next time your out, continue the savings. Buy in balk, and you’ll have wine on hand for those hard days at work or when you just need to spontaneously entertain!

Dom Perignon while flying?

Last week, I read an article in USA TODAY. The topic: wine and airlines. This article, which was very interesting, basically discussed how with all of the cutbacks in the airline industry, most airlines are not skimping on the brand-names of wines they serve during a flight.

While airlines are in the mists of cutbacks, they certainly are not skimping on the wine list. Even though airlines barely even offer a snack to passengers, people are still able to purchase wine during flight. Many airlines even have their stewardess’ trained for wine knowledge by bringing in consultants or sommeliers. First-class passengers are now being offered bigger glasses to swirl their wine in during flight.

I personally believe that this is just one more way for airlines to make a buck. I mean, why not? When a person is stuck on a 7 hour flight from Ohio to the Netherlands, what else is there to do than drink? To top it off, if it’s on the businesses credit card, of course the most exquisite wine is necessary.

But, is this really a way for airlines to make profit, or is it a way to continue giving patrons a comfortable flight? Wine could be viewed as a way for people who don’t enjoy flying to calm their nerves. However, I still am not sure that the wine on flights should have the best brand attached. If a person wants to drink, a cheap label will satisfy.

Wine sales are up on airlines. People are ordering wine more than ever while flying. Next time you are on a flight, and need to relax, just hit the call button and ask your stewardess for a glass of merlot.

American Airlines and United seem to have the best wine selection according to the Nov. 20th USA TODAY article.

Here’s the link:
Airline Wine Ratings

Turkey day & wine

As Thanksgiving quickly approaches, it is important to think about the wine that you and your family will enjoy with their holiday meal. When it comes to wine, many people have very different tastes, and preferences. Some people prefer a more dry wine, such as a red or even a Sauvignon blanc, and others like a wine that is more sweet.

This time of year, many grocery stores and wine sellers begin to have sales on wine. Wine is important for all meals and occasions, because having the right wine is the perfect compliment to an extraordinary meal.

If choosing white wine, Pinot Grigio is an excellent choice to compliment your Thanksgiving meal. Usually, Pinot Grigio compliments meals with a higher fat content and goes well with garlic and/or other flavors that may be on the table.

As for red wine, Pinot Noir would compliment well. This wine is a traditional favorite for Thanksgiving, and compliments many flavors well (http://wine.about.com). Pinot Noir is a perfect pair to any traditional Thanksgiving meal serving turkey and stuffing.

No matter which wine you decide to include this Thanksgiving, it is important to remember to have several choices for different taste buds. When assembling a large group, it is often difficult to please everyone in attendance. Keep options open, and most importantly, remember to give thanks to those who created wine!

TV portrayal of alcohol is potentially harmful to youth

TV shows, movies, and commercials all display people drinking wine and alcohol. What affect does this have on the youth of America? Young people are easily persuaded by what they see, and therefore, because teens see drinking as a casual activity on TV, more teens resort to drinking at an early age in life.

As discussed in a previous blog post, many TV shows display drinking as an everyday activity. All of my favorite shows on TV portray wine as a social activity.

Often times, when people see others drinking, it pressures them to drink as well. Since wine is so often consumed on television shows, the people who are watching probably are enjoying a glass of wine as well. It is hard not to drink a glass of merlot, while watching an episode of Brothers and Sisters that takes place at a wine festival. People want to feel like they are one with the show, and there is no better way to do so than drink just like the characters do.

However, as this may be fun for adults to drink and watch TV, it endangers our youth. With drinking at a young age comes a lot of other problems. Often those teenagers who being drinking while they are young, resort to violence and crime later in life. This is not what television producers want to happen to children. Instead, they are only trying to convey the message that with wine comes good gossip and friendship.

So, is it necessarily a bad thing that wine is so often displayed on TV? I mean, other countries do not have established drinking ages, and youth don’t over abuse alcohol like American youth do. Maybe, since youth aren’t exposed to drinking at an early age with families, that is why American’s abuse drinking. My solution: gradually increase your children to drinking at an earlier age.