Freedom Wine Production In Australia and Surrounding Countries
Australia has been blessed with some of the top wine making climates in the world and this is reflected in their well respected wine products. However, Fiji and New Zealand have also come onto the scene in recent years and has increased their market share largely as a result of their flexible wine producing policies.
Very recently there was a great deal of contention over the allowing of wine produces to make rosé wine, simply by mixing together the white and red varieties. The traditional method of producing rosé wine involved taking the red grape skins out of the juice mixture early on in the process so that only a little of the colour ends up in the final product. However, spurred on by the squeeze of the global recession on wine produces, a number of countries passed a law saying that producers could now sell blended wine (white will a dash of red) under the label of rosé.
Countries such as France, widely considered the finest wine producing country in the world, were not best pleased with this “mutilation” of rosé wine and did not agree for it to be sold in their country, or even be given as wine gifts. However, some countries, including those surrounding Australia have allowed the wine to be produced, and it is certainly paving dividends for their wine producers. A spokesman from the New Zealand alcohol authority defended his country’s move by stating that people are free to consume whichever wine they wish. They never market their blended rosé as wine made in the traditional way and the difference in pricing makes it quite obvious this is a different product entirely. The spokesman argued that if people can make milk chocolate in a thousand different ways, why can the same not be done for rosé?
The blending together of some of the most popular wine varieties is another practice that is really taking off in Australasian countries. In Fiji for example you can buy Sauvignon Blanc mixed with Chardonnay and Merlot blended with Cabernet Sauvignon. With the same unconcerned attitude as the New Zealand authorities, Fiji claim that wine is just as suitable for blending as Whisky. They state that companies all over the world, and in particular Scotland, produce some very fine blended whiskies that not only often taste superior to single malts, but that are also able to sell at more modest prices. Next they will be telling us which tableware we must use when consuming the wine, stated one official.
The natives of Fiji have really taken a liking to this new blended wine, with around 150,000 bottles sold last year alone. When compared to the wine consumption of some of the top bottles in the world, this figure is relatively low, but considering that the population of Fiji is not much more than 750,000, you can see just how successful this wine really is. The blended wine is already drunk in many of the surrounding countries, but there are hopes to extend the export to every country and the Fiji producers are confident it will catch on.
You’ve Eaten Indian Food, Why Not Drink The Wine
To complement a good dinner you need exquisite wine to go with it. When having a smart slap up meal the waiter would ask you what you would like to drink to which you would answer, “A bottle of your finest Nashik region sauvignon blanc wine or an original Maharastran Shiraz”. Like any good meal there are some essentials that you need, for example, glassware, an ice bucket to keep the wine cold (if it’s white) and ideally someone to pour it for you. Whilst all of these are most often associated with fine French or Italian cuisine, India are now making a move for the market.
Indian wine is desperately trying to emulate the immense success of the sub-continents beer (Cobra Beer) and food (Curry). However India’s oldest winery only dates back to early 1982 so the industry is still really in the starting phases. India as a nation are trying to increase their revenue stream and commerical routes as much as possible by broadening their own horizons. Exporting wine as well as beer and food will be a great move for Indian commerce as a nation as this will un-doubtedly help their relation and profit prospects.
White wine and red wine go well with any meal and normally you would go for a wine that has been brewed and made in France or Italy for example, but Indian wine could change all of that. Sales have grown by 30% to 35% in India every year since 2002 and although only 2% of the population drinks wine, that still accounts for a staggering twenty million people. Last year alone the Indian market accounted for 1.2 million cases of wine being sold, representing a doubling of domestic consumption in just five years. Compared to global players in the wine industry – America last year produced 270 million cases – India remains a viticultural minnow but now producers believe they have spotted a receptive export for the globe and a massive avenue to make plenty of money.
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Britain Are Becoming The World’s Wine Lovers
Britain now imports far more wine than any other country in the world. We imported a grand total of 1.six billion bottles in 2007, equating to 35 standard bottles for every adult in the country which is absolutely staggering figure. The average British adult now drinks 12% more wine than they did just five years ago and forecasts predict our consumption will continue to grow far beyond that figure. Global wine consumption is on the rise in past years and also forecast to grow considerably. America are predicted to eventually become the world’s biggest consumer by 2012. The UK is 13th in the world, in terms of consumption per adult and despite Britain being a massive importer, the amount we drink is dwarfed by other neighbouring European countries including France.
Red wine and white wine sales are on the increase as well as champagne, whisky and cognacs. This has incidentally caused an increase in the sale of almost all drinking glasses, including crystal glasses and the humble whisky glass. The British public consumed 720 million bottles of red wine and 764 million bottles of white wine in 2008 and that figure is expected to grow for 2009. However red wine is rapidly falling in popularity, as white wine and rose wine take larger shares of the increasing market industry.
Wine merchants have been incredibly busy for the year of 2008. Additionally, reports have indicated that many wine accessories such as glass vases, decanters and dinnerware have been selling extremely fast as a natural accompaniment to wine. The thirst for wine is set to deepen in emerging economies such as China and Russia, whose consumption levels are soon expected to overtake that of Spain which is another nation historically associated with wine. It predicted that the financial and economic crisis affecting many wine consumer countries worldwide would only have ‘limited’ consequences for the growth of the wine sector. The report forecast growth for the coming four years roughly in line with pre-crisis trends. Either way it is a very worrying thought.
Study Shows Wine Helps In Massage
Wines have long been used for their medicinal effects. History is riddled with examples of people believing that it can cure back pain, get rid of aids, help your joints and even make your hair grow thicker.Sadly, its more often the case that wine (and alcohol in general) contributes more to the cause of health problems than the cure. Believe it or not over 1500 people injured themselves in 2008 in the U.S just by using a bottle opener.Having said this, wine does sometimes prove to have some positive effects on the body, and one of them has been demonstrated by scientists at the University of Minnesota, who claim that the inclusion of wine in massage helps the muscle recovery process.
The claim follows a 7 month trial carried out at the university, where mainly athletes with muscles tissue damage had wine applied and rubbed into the skin as part of the recovery massage regime. The results very clearly highlighted that the subjects who were massaged with wine, had a muscle recovery rate that was around 15% faster than those subjects who had traditional sports massages. Tim Herring from the Universities Sports Sciences department stated that “whenever muscles are used they become damaged to some degree….what our study showed is that the recovery of normal muscle tissue was accelerated when white or red wine was added to the normal recovery-massage process”.The experts that carried out the study have suggested that the alcohol in the wine is partly responsible for this effect, as it allows the muscles to relax even more than normal by desensitising nerve endings. This relaxation then allows a vaso-dilation of the blood vessels that surround muscle tissue and means more healing nutrients can get to the damaged tissue.Interestingly, other alcoholic substances have been tested and do not display the same positive results, suggesting there might be something else found in wine that acts as a catalyst.
You probably won’t find that there is a rush in wine rack sales from health spas around the country, but maybe they will invest in some slow wine pourers just to give it a go.
How Good Are Wine Maps?
The number of people who are really into wine is definitely on the increase. You cannot blame them for being hooked by some of the wonderful wines out there, and lots of people find they develop it as a hobby without really realizing it. They’ve invested in a vintage collection of wine wines, they’ve converted their spare room into a storage cellar, bought a selection of different wine glasses so that they can get the maximum enjoyment of each wine variety, and have all the neat tableware gadgets for opening and pouring their wine.
The one thing that very few wine buffs have however is a wine map, which can show you more about wine regions that most books can. Wine maps have come a long way from the days they were roughly scribbled on a piece of paper and are now researched extensively and updated frequently. The California wine map for example is updated every year due to the complicated layout of the area, especially after Napa Valley was officially recognized as an American Viticultural Area in 1981. This means that there are 108 AVAs in the area, all providing different grape varieties and wine qualities.
Most people pick up their wine knowledge from talking to friends or reading the labels, but a wine map provides a visual representation of the different regions and fruit varieties. If you are lucky enough to be visiting an area of wine production, its is even more imperative that you have a wine map to take with you. Often different terrain overlaps between wine making regions so certain wines can be made up of a combination of different grapes and grape maturing conditions. A wine map will allow you to not only understand the wines better but also identify where the tastes and aromas coming from your wine glasses originated
How It Came To Be Than Wine Is Drunk From A Glass
Wine is one of those drinks that it universal. Every continent on earth has embraced it and sampled it from glass cups ever since they came about. The question is however, why do we use glass? Why not from a plastic cup, mug or wooden goblet? Sadly, there is no definitive answer for this. Actually, wine is enjoyed from a number of different containers, other than glass, in many different places. For example in Japan, wine is drunk from a ceramic vase-shaped container and in Thailand, wooden cups are often used. However, the overriding choice of tableware drinking vessel, wherever you go, is glass. It’s really more a result of other methods not being appropriate than glass being that special in any way. Lets examine what else is on offer.
Wood. As stated earlier, wooden cups are used to drink wine from in some countries, however there are some major draw backs. Stains are the first major issue, which more often than not occur as a result of red wine drinking. Even if it is very hard wood, discolouring will occur. Secondly, there is the issue of rotting, which frequency happens when wood gets wet for a long time. So it would have to be dried out thoroughly after every use.
Metal. If you have ever drunk wine from a metal cup you will know it’s not the best experience ever. Metals have a large number of things called ions, and when most wines come into contact with it ‘displacement’ can happen. This means that ions can be released into the wine when it is in the vessel and these result in an altered taste. This is why you often pick up metallic notes when drink from this type of cup. Also, because of its very heat-conductive qualities, almost any other material would keep the wine cooler when you’re holding it
Ceramic. Like glass, ceramic is non porous, does not release any of its qualities into the wine, and can be easily cleaned with a glass cloth. For reasons like these, ceramic is a viable alternative, but it will never be number one. This is because, it is floored in a very basic way…its opaque. A large part of the experience of enjoying a fine wine is watching it swirl around the glass, admiring its body. It is a very primitive desire and it has stuck with us ever since glass was invented.
Now Is The Best Time To Invest In Fine Wine
There are some oddities that go on in the wine market. It is essentially a luxury product and yet millions of bottles are produced each year.A wine might be worth less than one ten years its junior, and whether a certain wine sells well or not can come down to a few people’s personal taste. There is one thing that is certain though and that there is a lot of money floating around in this domain, and there has never been a better time to grab a share.
The cost of picking up a good bottle has been rising quite quickly over the last few decades. As better storage facilities and more advanced manufacturing methods produce higher quality wines, so too does the price people are willing to pay for them go up.The wine expert as Sotherby’s, Jamie Richie actually commented that “Prices had risen to nearly unsustainable levels last April”.However, the struggling market currently has lead to a very clear a drop in prices. March 2009 saw a relatively big downturn in prices averaging 1.2 percent according to Liv-Ex 100, the index that tracks the top 100 collectable wines. This is trend that experts expect to continue for while and can in fact be seen throught the wine sector, from wine production to the sales of everyday wine glasses.
A bottle of Montrachet Domaine Romanee-Conti (1978) very recently got picked up at a Chicago auction for $3,500. The price of $23,929 was only a few years back at Sotherby’s for the same bottle of wine. This sudden drop basically means that if you’ve ever had an urge to start collection yourself, either as an investment or just a hobby, the best deals are just around the corner.Many professionals in the area think that the market wont see and upward rise until at least the end of this year.
Wine investment expert, Joss Fowler has some words of wisdom for doing well. A almost certain bet is going for a Red Bordeaux, he says, because aging this one badly is no easy task for anyone. Also, play it safe and get the best wines your money can buy from the best vintages. Stay true to this rule and you’ll be filling up your pretty champagne glasses before too long.
Making Sure Your Wine Collection Is Stored Correctly
In an ideal world we would all have lovely big wine cellars with heat regulators and air circulation systems. This would allow you to leave them well alone and yet know that they were in the best conditions for aging just right. This is very rarely a reality however and the majority of us just try to make the best out of what we have. Here is some great advice for storing your wines safely.
Location. Your bottles, both white and red wine, are best placed in a cool room, away from the light and with moderate humidity levels. The most efficient temperature for storage of your bottles should be between 10° and 16° C (50° to 61° F).Anything higher than this will lead to a decrease in wine quality but anything higher than 25° C will seriously damage the wine’s flavors and body. The wine can change colour if left in direct light and also increase in temperature. The humidity levels of the air found in the storage room can have dramatic effects on the cork, causing it to swell or contract. This can result in air forcing its way into the bottle and causing oxidation, a well known negative that occurs when wine has prolonged contact with oxygen.
Positioning. You should position the wines on their side or at a slight angle when storing them. This is because if there is not liquid in contact with the cork it can dry out and shrink. Oxidation (see previous explanation) can again result from this.
Display. You don’t want your pride and joys to be hidden away the whole time. often you will want them to be on display so you can admire them. A good choice is a wooden wine cabinet due to the fact these tend to maintain a steady temperature and always go for one that lets you store your wines on their side.Avoid any that have glass paneling as this can use the air temperature to increase due to the greenhouse effect.
The New Wine That Is Specially For Men
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 news of this new product follows the announcement that they will be reducing the amount of wine they make in 2009 by offering less wine deals to retailers. They will instead look to make more trustworthy and “reliable” bottles of wine that people can buy in the credit crunch at not risk getting anything unexpected.
The ‘Redwood Creek’ wine range is targeted at men aged between 35-65 and who have something of a passion for outdoor pursuits.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 Californian Tourist Board,Riedel Glass plus the 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 suggested the new wine charms the soul, with a rugged quality and a rich taste. “They will be everything you associate with nature and activity” Newell says, “freshness, passion and full flavours” are all qualities that this wine processes.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.
Health Benefits of Red Wine
Healthy or Excuse to Get Drunk? Nutrition
Many people don’t realize it but wine—specifically red wine—is a health drink if absorbd in moderation. Thats all because analyzes predict that red wine is plentiful in antioxidants.
More and more scientific findings show that drinking red wine owes its health benefits from the high level of antioxidants called “resveratrol,” a kind of polyphenol known as “phytoalexin.” This is a group of heightens plants use to represent themselves against attacks such as untimely stress, possible injuries, or UV irradiation and certain infections such as fungus and infection.
Resveratrol is known to be present in the core and skins of system and fermented grapes during the rigorous system of earning red wine. And, as of the long system and prolonged fermentation of grapes in red-wine making, high levels of resveratrol are found to be present in each bottle of red wine.
Red wine wonders
Nowadays, many people are using red wine as a health drink during their meals because they believe that since it is best antioxidant supplement,red wine can help veer them away from certain terminal illness as well as to all forms of diseases that come with aging. These belows are just some of the conceived profits of red wine as a heart drink:
– Helps in the prevention of developing various neuro-degenerative illnesses and diseases. Many studies show that because of the high resveratrol content of red wine, it can help people—especially those who are getting older—to develop diseases and illnesses that are common to them like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Red wine is also believed to suspend the possible progression of dementia especially to older ones.
– Really nice for the heart. Experts concur that the specific substances in red wines like tannins & flavoniods can raise the levels of good cholesterol or highdensity lipoproteins (HDL) in the person’s blood. The red wine’s antioxidant properties can also help in the reduction of bad cholesterol or low-density lipoproteins (LDL). Once LDL levels are decreased, there is lesser chances of evolving cardiovascular illness’s such as heart attacks and stroke.
– Keeps sure cancers. Many people who are prone to the “Big C” are using red wine as a health drink because of the wonders brought by resveratrol in it. Experts believe that regular but moderate consumption of red wine can help fight possible cancer cells from proliferating and thus, preventing the development of the disease eventually.
– Reduces the harmful effects of food poisoning. Main advantage of redwine is that it reduce the toxicity by spoiled food. The properties in red wine can help cleanse the body from toxins and also help in avoiding dysentery as well as diarrhea.
– Prevents and possibly cures certain gum diseases.Tobacco user are the ones who are prown to gum illnesses. But there are also those who also experience gum diseases that are usually caused by inflamed muscles in the gums and weakened tooth. By using red wine as a health drink, experts believe that the polyphenols present in this can help reduce the presence of free radicals that do the infection the and bacteria proliferation inside the person’s mouth.
– Serves as blood thinner. For people with high blood pressure, red wine is an ideal health drink because it contains blood pressure lowering-substances and compounds that are effective in lowering high blood pressure.
– Allows healthy skin. For people who are after maintaining youthful skin, red wine can be a good health drink option because the number of polyphenols present in average consumption can prevent the damages brought by cell oxidation processes.