vxvineyard.com

If you are enjoying a glass of wine, will you enjoy it less if you find out that it was capped and not corked? The cork vs. screw cap debate has been raging in the wide world of wine for quite some time now and there’s still no consensus on which is best. Traditionalists will argue that cork is best for wines that need to be aged for a while before drinking while others will say that because cork is a natural product it is susceptible to the elements and can ruin some wines.

Besides the science offered by those on each side of the question, there is another aspect to the cork vs. cap debate that is considered by some to be more important than the science of oxidation and reduction. To them its all about the “aura” of it all. Cork’ers will

Continue reading →

When most people think of sparkling wine they think of champagne or some of the lesser-quality imitators of the fine French bubbly. However, while champagne does indeed refer only to sparkling wine grown in the Champagne region of France and made in accordance with the Comite Interprofessionel du Vin de Champagne regulations, it doesn’t mean that all other similarly made wines pale, so to speak, in comparison. There are some very fine sparkling wines made in the champagne tradition from every corner of the globe (well almost every corner) and these bubbly libations are worth tasting for their unique characteristics and not simply as a substitute for the frothy French variety of sparkly.

The process of getting the bubbles into the wine to make it a sparkling wine comes from the natural fermentation of the grape. Some lesser quality sparkling

Continue reading →

It doesn’t have to be the holiday season to start thinking about buying the wine buff in your life a few new gadgets. The holiday season certainly presents a great excuse to buy presents but for those whose lives are inseparable from their favorite vintage, the newest handy dandy and useful tools are always welcome and appreciated. Unlike trying to figure out what to buy for your fisherman friend or the paddle tennis freak, whose special interests are best served when they purchase their own obscure additions to their arsenals, you will have little or no trouble in finding great gifts that your wine enthusiast will thoroughly enjoy, make use of and in all likelihood share with you.

One of the reasons why it is so darn easy to shop for a wine lover, other than buying their favorite wines,

Continue reading →

Each year the coming of  fall brings the usual and anticipated list of seasonal characteristics and characters that are uniquely identified with this transitional season. From Rockwell-esque depictions of children rolling around in colorful leaves to Pilgrims, cornucopia, roast turkey dinners, idyllic family gatherings and Santa’s arrival at the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the fall has many iconic images to call its own. One that gets somewhat less attention but is almost as eagerly anticipated as an awkward Thanksgiving dinner toast from aging Uncle Louie is the annual arrival of Beaujolais Nouveau.

Beaujolais nouveau is a wine that is as polarizing as it is popular. While many a wine snob will turn their well-educated schnozolla skyward at the mere mention of this barely aged grape libation, others look forward to it as much as Santa making his way down 5th Avenue every

Continue reading →