Top wine sites in January 2010

January 14th, 2010

This article is a resource for you to find interesting sites.

I have performed website appraisal on 375 sites and I have ranked only the top 100.

Herebelow is an analysis of the results.

The big guns

Two Fort Riley soldiers compete in the 2005 Best Ranger Competition

In the fourth quarter of any year, many people look for food or wine information on the Web. This primarily benefits the established brands. The 4 sites that gained most valuation this quarter year are those the 4 top sites.

More generally a few sites dominate the pack. This is partly due to their early appearance on the Web (Wine Spectator, Wine lovers page). It is also partially because they have the weight of offline publications behind them (Wine Spectator, the New York Times, Wine Advocate, Dr. Vino).

In the last few years a few authors made their way to popularity. They steadily rose by virtue of:

  • producing consistently good content that people want to consume;
  • and being regularly cited by their peers.

Diversity

The recent holiday season has favoured the big sites. You can expect challengers to rise in the next installment in April.
In the last few years the web offer has immensely diversified. Everybody and their wine supplier now has a blog. There now are many quality wine critics who comment on line. Some belong to the mainstream media, others not. You can have your voice too and this is good for everybody.

So go on a reading journey by browsing the list of 100 best wine sites!

How to participate

Websites are automatically included in the contest as soon as I learn of their existence. To be eligible to the next issue of the Cellarer wine directory, the below conditions must be met:

  1. The main topic should be wine.
  2. Producing estates and wine sellers are excluded. Some of them run wonderful websites but the type of information is different.

If you disagree with the directory criteria, please comment below or e-mail me.

Once the above conditions are fulfilled the websites are also considered for addition to another tool: a search engine dedicated to wine and food.

Here are the metrics I use for rating the wine sites. You can follow the directory evolution by subscribing to the feed on websites blog RSS.

How to enjoy Champagne wines

December 30th, 2009

How should I store Champagne?

Champagne wines should be kept in a cool, dark place away from heat, light, vibrations and severe temperature variations. Unlike the best wines from Bordeaux or California, Champagne wines are ready for consumption when they are shipped to the market. However, some wine lovers also enjoy cellaring their Champagnes for a few extra years.

What is the best way to chill Champagne?

Before opening, chill the wine well, but do not freeze it. Champagne is best chilled by placing the bottle in a bucket filled with ice and water for 30-40 minutes or in the vegetable bin of the refrigerator for several hours.
Lovers of (French) Champagne always keep a bottle there for inspiration, unexpected guests and homey dinners.

How do I open a bottle of Champagne?

The pressure in a bottle of Champagne is equivalent to that of a tire of a double-decker bus, about ninety pounds per square inch. Slant the bottle at a 45 degree angle away from guests. Put a thumb on the cork, untwist and loosen the wire muzzle. Grasp the cork firmly, twist the bottle slowly and let the pressure help push out the cork. Allow a light and merry pop.

How should I serve Champagne?

Drinking Champagne by the bottleChampagne is best served in tall flute or tulip glasses, at a temperature of 42-47 degrees Fahrenheit. Tiny bubbles will rise in a continuous stream. When serving, pour a small quantity of wine into each glass and allow it to settle. Then fill each glass two-thirds full. Victorian saucer-shaped glasses are best kept for the service of sherbet or ice cream.

How much Champagne will I need?

For a Champagne apéritif at cocktail hour, allow one bottle for every three or four guests. When served at a meal, count on one bottle for every two or three people. And for the traditional Champagne toast to the bride, one bottle can serve six to ten people.

Related articles: the regions that produce Champagne and the red grapes that go into Champagne.

Articles on other quality websites: Champagne tasting.

Mulled wine recipe

December 7th, 2009

Coming up with unique offerings for your guests over the holidays can be a chore, especially when it comes to concoctions to stave off the chill of winter. Of all the options, mulled wine is my favorite. It’s a classic wine-based drink that can be easily made ahead of time and served by the glass when family and friends pop over. Remember that as with any recipe the real fun is in the interpretation so feel free to take my notes and add or subtract items at will. Don’t forget to record the plans for your final concoction because once your guests take a sip they’ll be dying to know how to make it themselves.

Mulled wineBefore you get started there are a few mulled wine rules. Any red wine will do but you don’t have to spend that much, after all you’re going to alter the taste considerably.

Try a wine from a region where the nights are fresh. The one thing they typically have in common is a deep full fruit flavor and lots of rustic structure (with acidity) – perfect for mulling.
Try your favorite red or:

  • Hungary’s Szekszardi Voros
  • Burgundy’s Jacob – Pinot noir
  • Italy’s Lungarotti – Cabernet Sauvignon

Never let the wine boil. If it’s boiled it’s spoiled. The flavor of the wine/spice combination will deteriorate if the mixture reaches the boiling point, so keep an eye on the stove. Actually, microwaving mulled wine by the glass or mug full is a better choice. The microwave process
concentrates the flavor elements that can dissipate when mulled wine is made on the stove in an open-mouthed pot, back into the drink. I usually find that one-minute on high heat works best but get there in 20-second incumbents to ensure the mulled wine doesn’t reach the boiling point.

I’ve included sugar in my ingredients list because some find that added sugar soothes the tangy flavor the mulled wine can express after being warmed up. I prefer diluting the mulled wine with herbal or citrus tea. Tea (especially citrus or herbal oriented varieties) not only softens the flavor but it adds subtle elements that the mulled wine doesn’t have on its own. If tea or sugar isn’t to your liking try balancing the flavor by adding a little water to the blend before pouring.

One last thing. Since it’s the holidays a candy cane as a garnish not only adds a nice peppermint flavor to the mulled wine, it looks terrific and really evokes the liquid personality of the season.

Here is a recipe derived from that of my grand aunt Else:

2 lemons

2 oranges

1 750 ml bottle of medium- to full-bodied Red Wine

Nutmeg (to taste)

Cloves (to taste)

1 oz brandy or Cognac (or to taste)

1 cup (250 ml) granulated sugar (optional)

Herbal or citrus influenced tea (optional but excellent)

Water (optional softener instead of tea)

4 large cinnamon sticks

4 candy canes

Instructions (makes four large portions):

- Cut lemons and oranges into slices.

- Pour the red wine into saucepan and gradually heat.

- Add fruit slices, nutmeg, cloves and brandy.

- Keep an eye on the mixture and wait until it becomes hot to the touch.

- At this point you could blend in sugar or water (if desired).

- Pour into glasses/mugs and add tea (to taste).

- Garnish with cinnamon stick and candy cane.

- Serve.

As I said earlier, premixing the ingredients and microwaving it by the glass/mug full is just as easy.

If you’re keen on a holiday oriented drink that isn’t served warm why not try Ginger Wine. It has roots planted firmly in the Victorian Era and has a wonderful ginger essence that is as tasty as it is familiar.

If you have a twist on this recipe or have another wine-based cocktail idea, please comment.

The vine growing regions in Champagne, France

November 6th, 2009

The Climate

The Champagne region enjoys very favorable conditions for vine cultivation, even with it’s contradicting northerly location. The rivers and forests help to regulate the humidity. The winters are relatively mild, the summer and fall rich in sunshine and the sun’s rays reflect back on the vines from the chalky soil, permitting maximum heat and light.

The Soil

Champagne is planted on chalk. The Grand Crus generally are on the mid-slopes. The soil is a unique chalk a bit below the constantly fertilized topsoil. Thanks to this cradle, Champagne offers such lightness and refinement. The slopes facing South and Southeast attribute to the vines prosperity, protecting them from the Northerly winds and generously exposing them to the sun. The exceptionally intense light is reflected back by the soil expending the sun’s warmth.

The Areas

map of vine growing regions in Champagne, FranceAs the map indicates, the vine growing region in Champagne primary consists in 4 zones. The Reims Mountain, the valley of the Marne river, the Côte des Blancs, the Aube. The vineyards strive on hills stretching 120 kilometres in length and from 300 metres to two kilometres in width.

La Montagne de Reims

The Reims Mountain zone is part of the Ile-de-France region. It consists of the versant meridian of the Vesle River Valley and expands to the Valley of the Marne River at the highs of Epernay. This is a vast plateau 20-25 kilometers in length and varies from 6 to 10 kilometers in width.

La Vallée de la Marne

The Marne Valley zones incorporates the vineyards situated between the towns of Tours-sur-Marne amd Dormans, extending to the city of Chateau-Thierry — in other words into the Aisne and Seine-et-Marne regions.

La Côte des blancs

The zone of Côte des Blancs is named after the white Chardonnay grapes grown there almost exclusively. The hills face east. The cliffs are perpendicular with the Reims Mountain. It is lower in elevation and stretches about 20 kilometers from the North to the South, between Epernay and the Marne River. It extends to Cote des Vertus in the Congy region and the Cote deSezanne hills. South of this zone, in the Aube region is the Cote des Bars zone, close to the villages of Bar-sur-Seine and Bar-sur-Aube.

L’Aube

This part is rather not known. In 2007 Alice Feiring scouted the Montgueux part of it.

Here is about the expansion of the appellation area.