The hours are counting down to the weekend and that means a few bottles of my favourite wine will be drunk.

Usually it's a few bottles on Friday and Saturday nights and then just one bottle on Sunday. Unfortunately on a Monday morning I have to be up bright and early ready for another busy week at work.

Unfortunately I am still a bit of an amateur when it comes to choosing the right wines. Occasionally I have been known to serve a white instead of a red.

For Friday's dinner I was contemplating serving up a nice piece of steak. To accompany this I think I should be choosing a nice Cabernet Sauvignon. However my predicament is I am an absolute lover of any sort of Shiraz, so perhaps I should get a couple of bottles of this.

This Saturday my family are coming round to my house for a party. Normally when my family come round, they don't bring their own wine, so that means I always have to get extra supplies in. Probably I will decide to buy a case of Cava as this really is my absolute favourite wine. My dilemma will be should I get Rosado Cava or Reserve Cava, or perhaps, as it’s a big event, I should just get a case of each.

On Sunday night there will be just be the two of us and I think after our weekend of heavy drinking we will just enjoy a nice cup of tea.

I can't believe it but that is another weekend done and dusted. Soon it will be Monday morning and the alarm will be buzzing nice and early, heralding the start of another busy week at work.  Oh roll on Friday.

Post from: Cheap Pewter Goblets

Is My Wine Choice Correct?

The Barossa is located north of Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. The Barossa is made up of two different regions – the Barossa Valley and Eden Valley.

The Barossa Valley covers a large area of land, starting at Kapunda in the south and measuring all the way up to Truro in the north. The rainfall here can be up to 50% less than in Eden Valley however The Barossa has the advantage of more fertile red-brown soil.  Temperatures are generally about 2ºC warmer.

The geography for Eden Valley ranges from Truro in the north down to Mount Pleasant in the south. On average the land ranges from about 400 to 600 metres above sea level with a majority of the wine growing land located in the higher sections of land. Eden Valley has much rockier, acidic soil than the Barossa Valley and also enjoys about 255mm more rainfall every year. Temperatures are cooler therefore the growing season is longer.

So how does this affect the wine from these regions? Well to put it simply, these are great growing conditions.

There are about 550 growers in the Barossa, some of them sixth-generation Barossans.  The total harvest each season adds up to a whopping 55,000 tonnes of grapes which has been grown over 8,000 hectares of land.
A unique aspect about the Barossa is that it has managed to avoid phylloxera This has allowed most of the wineries in the area to keep their original root stocks and has some of the worlds oldest vines.

Even though the Barossa represents about 5% of Australia's national crush, the fruit produced is premium quality. The constant premium quality of wines produced in the Barossa makes them Australia's most internationally influential regions with a large number of Barossa wines being categorized in the super-premium class.

Its easy to see why Barossa Shiraz is held in high regard amongst wine connoisseurs.

Follow the link for more information on Barossa Shiraz .

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Why is Barossa Shiraz so Special?

Top Types of Wine

There are many types and varieties of wine available. For anyone wanting to try and match a great wine with a specific type of meal, then you can’t go wrong making your choice form one of the more popular varieties around.

Oh, and before we get started, if you love to try new wines, then you can't go wrong with a wine of the month club, they're fun and you're always expanding your wine palate.

Let’s take a look at some of the more popular wine varieties:

Cabernet Sauvignon

Often called by the nickname cab sauv, this is a purplish-red, full bodied wine which originates in France. This is one of the most popular wine varieties out there.

This flavorful red is perfect with steak, roasted lamb and just by itself while unwinding.

Merlot

Merlot is a very soft red which has a lower level of tannins than many other red wine varieties. It is often blended with cabernet sauvignon and other grapes, but is often found on its own, making a good accompaniment to chicken and other poultry dishes.

Shiraz

This wine (also known as Syrah) is very dark red in color and has a full body with notes of black pepper. This wine is ideal for barbecues and in fact, any meat dish. These wines can be aged for many years with spectacular results.

Shiraz was originally produced from grapes from the Middle Eastern countries although South Australia’s brilliant wine region is now said to produce some of the finest award-winning Shiraz wines in the world.

Served with peppery or mustard-based sauces on spicy, garnished meats, Shiraz is the perfect complimentary red wine.

Grenache

Grenache has a soft taste on its own with a very slight black pepper and plum flavor. It is often blended with Syrah, especially in Spain and France. Grenache also accompanies spicy foods quite well.

Pinot Noir

Pinot noir is a stunning light- to medium-bodied red wine with a fine fruity aroma. When this fine wine is well aged, it can develop lovely floral flavors.

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is one of the most popular white wines, being made into a wine in its own right and being a major component of most white blends. These wines tend to have notes of melon and lemon and are generally aged in oak for anywhere up to 3 years. Chardonnay goes well with flavorful fish such as salmon and tuna.  Chardonnay is easily one of the most popular white wines anywhere. Traditionally these wonderfully melon flavored wines are allowed to mature in oak barrels for up to 3 years. Chardonnay is ideal served along with salmon.

Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon blanc is a very ripe tasting white wine that can have a quite aggressive aroma as compared to other white wines. Sauvignon Blanc is a lovely white wine that is excellent with seafood and a great accompaniment to Japanese sushi, but is even better on its own as a drinking white wine.

Semillon

Very popular in France and Australia, this grape is less popular outside of those countries. Boasting a mild, honey and toast flavor, this wine is often seen in blends with Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

Riesling

Riesling was original a German wine that is now made successfully in many countries around the world. Rieslings are classically fruity and can be either sweet or dry, which makes them an ideal compliment to many spicier cuisines.

Now get out there, start trying new wines (join a wine club if there are no vineyards nearby), and enjoy.

Post from: Cheap Pewter Goblets

Popular Wine Varieties